Job Listing
 🔗Museum Conservation Intern – 1200 hours

  • Internship
  • NCPE Internship
  • Charles Town, WV
  • 17.00 USD / Hour
  • This position has been filled
  • Department: NPS Harpers Ferry Center - Museum Conservation
  • Job Reference #: 4038c
  • Job Qualifications:

    This position is ideal for those early in their conservation career with some previous experience in a conservation lab or those seeking to gain more experience before (pre-program) entering a graduate program in art conservation. A commitment to pursuing work in the field of art conservation is required. A museum studies, archives, art history, chemistry, or art studio background is also required, but attention to detail, good hand skills, flexibility, and willingness to learn are also very important. Own transportation is required.

  • How to Apply:

    Click on the application button at this listing and follow the instructions to apply online.

  • Job benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Application Email: waso_cr-intern@nps.gov

National Park Service/NCPE Internship Program

Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) is the National Park Service’s Media Center and creates tools to assist NPS interpreters in the field, including museum exhibits, publications, wayside exhibits, and historic furnishings; these functions are located in Harpers Ferry. HFC also includes five museum conservation labs, the HFC Commissioned Art Collection, and the NPS History Collection, which are located 6 miles away in Charles Town, WV.

This internship will assist Senior NPS Museum Conservators with object handling, object photography (before and after treatment digital imaging), report writing (condition reports, treatment proposals, and treatment reports), database entry, lab maintenance, and basic treatment steps for a variety of NPS artifacts on loan to HFC for conservation treatment from park sites service-wide. Training will be provided in all areas listed above.

The position will include conservation treatment of objects from multiple NPS sites working in five specialized conservation labs (Textiles, Paper/Books, Wooden Artifacts, Organic Objects, Inorganic Objects). Basic treatment steps may include a variety of surface cleaning methods, mending tears, filling losses, reattaching loose elements, applying surface coatings, and humidifying/flattening under the guidance of a Senior NPS Museum Conservator. The types of objects/materials will vary depending on the needs of the parks but could include textiles, paper/books, ceramics/glass, metals, leather, basketry, taxidermy, and wooden artifacts/furniture. Learning to test materials to ensure the preservation of the objects during treatment such as spot tests, microscope use, XRF and FT-IR will also be included, as needed. The position is primarily in-person, but telework days will be granted upon request for report writing etc.

This position is funded by the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE), in cooperation with the National Park Service. Program eligibility requirements apply; visit https://preservenet.org/ncpe-internships/ for details and instructions on how to apply.