2024 Historical Society Archives and Public History Internship at The Castine Historical Society

Job Title: Intern

Location: Castine, ME

The Castine Historical Society offers a graduate level internship for students enrolled in master’s degree or Ph.D. programs in museum studies, history, public history, or archival studies. The internship contract is for eight weeks at 35 hours/week (usually 7 hours per day), and is compensated with a $3,000 stipend. The start date is flexible between June 20 and July 5, 2024.

Castine is a small coastal village that is home to the Maine Maritime Academy and a year-round population of 1,400 people which nearly doubles in the summer. It is located within the traditional and ancestral territory of the Penobscot Nation, where the Penobscot and Bagaduce Rivers meet on the Maine coast. Europeans built trading posts in the early 1600s and political claims to the peninsula and its deep, secure harbor remained contentious from that time through the War of 1812. Development in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries represents a microcosm of American commercial and cultural history.

The Historical Society occupies two historic buildings on Castine’s town common and is a 501(c)(3) membership organization with a paid staff of three and an active volunteer Board of Directors. Changing and permanent exhibits are hosted in the 1859 Abbott Schoolhouse. In 2015, the Society completed construction of a climate-controlled, fireproof storage facility, research center, and administrative offices located next door in its restored c. 1850 Grindle House.

This internship is designed to give graduate students an opportunity to gain experience with professional staff in a local history setting. In addition to the projects outlined below, the intern will participate in the day-to-day activities of the Castine Historical Society, attending staff and Board meetings as well as programs and fundraising events. No previous experience in these areas is needed. The Historical Society’s Collections Manager works with the student to structure the internship to meet requirements for academic credit as needed. While the internship will take place mostly on weekdays, some weekend hours are required.

The Historical Society will provide the intern with information on rental options for housing. The intern will need their own vehicle in order to access local amenities.

Projects

Photography Collections

The Historical Society’s collections are at the core of its mission and programs, and include archives, photographs, artworks, and objects. The 2024 intern will be mainly responsible for digitizing and cataloging the Historical Society’s print photography collections, as well as creating and curating a small exhibition of photographs at the local Witherle Memorial Library.

Walking Tour Program

The Castine Historical Society also provides free public tours of Castine history and private tours by appointment. The intern will join a small group of volunteers who give these tours. Resources and time to study Castine’s history are built into the first week of the internship. As well, the intern will shadow a volunteer guide and practice his/her tour before being the guide.

A Successful Candidate Will:

  • Be currently enrolled in a history, museum, or archives related graduate program
  • Show sincere interest in documenting and sharing local history
  • Demonstrate proven attention to detail
  • Possess social skills for working with staff and volunteers
  • Work well independently and as part of a team
  • Display professional behavior and a customer service attitude

To Apply

Send the following materials by Friday, April 19, 2024, to Jules Thomson via email at collections@castinehistoricalsociety.org (please include the word “internship” in the subject line) or by post to Castine Historical Society, P.O. Box 238, Castine, Maine 04421.

  • Cover letter describing your:
    • Need for the experience offered by this internship
    • Course of study including any internship requirements
    • Availability (start date is flexible between June 20 and July 5)
  • Résumé summarizing work experience and education
  • Letter of support from a faculty member in your graduate program
  • Names and contact information for two references from previous work or volunteer experiences.

Interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

The Castine Historical Society is committed to fostering equity and inclusion in the public history and information science fields. We strongly encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.