Summer Research Fellowships at The Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley

Job Title: Summer Research Fellowships

Location: Westchester County, NY

Description:
The Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley is pleased to offer Summer Research Fellowships to support college and graduate students to engage in scholarly research connected to the women who shaped the culture and chronicle of the Hudson River Valley. It is an opportunity to gain a privileged and sustained engagement with the Library and Archives of Historic Hudson Valley, as well as a stipend to offset expenses incurred during the research period.

Research fellows are expected to produce an article or mid-term report on a topic related to their research, after consultation with the Librarian, during the period of their Fellowship, as well as a final academic report in print and in person to the Women’s History Institute’s Committee on their findings before or at the conclusion of their Fellowship.

Fellowship stipends are $3,000 for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of three months’ duration (June-August). The Library and its facilities are open for the Summer Fellows, Monday through Friday, except on holidays.

Subject holdings of Historic Hudson Valley’s Library, Archives and Manuscript Collections

Key Dates:

Residence between June 2, 2025 – August 29, 2025. Low residency candidates are welcome to apply.

Applications containing a resume, proposal and two letters of recommendation must be submitted by December 31, 2024.

Successful applicants will be notified of results on February 14, 2025. Awarded candidates must respond with their acknowledgment of acceptance by February 21, 2025.

Application Requirements:

A complete application consists of five (5) parts:

A cover letter to librarian@hudsonvalley.org that contains the following:

  • Name and contact information of the applicant;
  • A general description or abstract of the research project; and the HHV collections to be consulted (when possible); along with the following three attachments:
    • A project proposal of 500 words which describes the theme and format as well as how it relates to the Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley
    •  A resume or curriculum vitae
    • Two letters of recommendation from recent professors or relevant employer

Applications should be submitted by email to librarian@hudsonvalley.org

Collections of Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is a not-for-profit organization focused on education and American history. We welcome more than 300,000 visitors annually to our five sites for public tours, school programs, seasonal festivals, and popular events. All of our programming is based in the rich history of the Hudson Valley.

The Library of Historic Hudson Valley offers a broad spectrum of research material related to the cultural and historical significance of the Hudson River Valley. The general book collection consists of more than 17,000 titles. Subject areas include (but are not limited to) early African American history, agriculture, American 18th– and 19th-century culture, art, architecture, biography, cooking, decorative arts, the history of science and technology, social and political history, textiles, women’s history, and the works of Washington Irving.

The Library’s Special Collections include more than 4,000 rare books and 5,000 manuscripts as well as maps, subject files, photographs, and prints. Among the subjects in the Special Collections are numerous items of interest to researchers in women’s history, including the following:

  • Random documents pertaining to the enslaved people who resided at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, revealing their experience during the American Revolution as well as medical treatments, clothing, schooling and communication.
  • Handwritten and multi-generational receipt books, including inventories of household goods, guides to daily and celebratory foods, and home medical remedies from the 18th and 19th centuries – a true view into the substance, care and celebrations of two hundred years.
  • The land holdings and economic dealings of widows in the Hudson Valley in the 18th century. Widowhood often brought financial power and independent success.
  • The account book of an anonymous 19th century Rye, NY milliner which gives an insight to a self-supporting working woman noting, for example, her business and traveling purchases, types of materials used in her work and a late change from British to American currency
  • The correspondence of 19th century women and men in their teens and twenties from NYC and Hudson Valley families like the Irvings and the Hamiltons. These letters are a window into the duties, education, voyages, social lives and expectations (real and crushed) of young people living almost exactly 200 years ago.
  • Letters, poetry, dramas, calling cards, friendship and school notebooks (early-mid 19th-century) of female members of the prominent New York Hoffman family and their friends and relatives – a rich collection that keeps on revealing more fascinating information each time it is explored.
  • The 1862-1863 journal of Sarah Storrow (1813-1885), detailing daily multi-generational middle-class life of her extensive family, friends and neighbors in the Tarrytown areas during the American Civil War, as well as touching on the Draft Riots, Sanitation Fairs, and entertainment in New York City.
  • The recollections of and insight into the daily life in the mid-late 19th through the early 20th centuries at Sunnyside, home of Washington Irving and succeeding generations of Irvings. Seen from the servants’ perspectives as well as random correspondence and photographs of Ellen (Elaine) du Pont Irving from the early 20th century.

The Library supports Historic Hudson Valley’s mission to restore, preserve, interpret, and promote for the public benefit and enjoyment historic landmarks of national significance within the Hudson River Valley. It does this through reference, research, and the dissemination of information and materials for educational and programmatic endeavors.

Library hours are Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm.  The Library’s electronic book catalog is accessible on HHV’s website and on Worldcat. And the Hoffman Family Collection Finding Aid can be accessed here.

The Institute:
The Women’s History Institute illuminates the significant contributions made by women in the Hudson Valley, past and present, and takes advantage of Historic Hudson Valley’s properties and programmatic themes, many of which focus on domestic life, to reveal the stories of the diverse women who lived and worked at our sites. Through research, on-site and digital interpretation, and a lively roster of programs, the Women’s History Institute fosters a deeper understanding of the lives of these and other women of the Hudson Valley, and offers a contemporary audience the resources necessary to take inspiration from their history.

The Fellowship:
The Summer Research Fellowship supports the research of college and graduate students into the lives of women residing in the Hudson Valley, particularly during the time period represented in the HHV collections: the 18th and 19th centuries. By allowing these researchers privileged and sustained access to the Library and Archives, HHV will continue to build a body of scholarship that will support new interpretation at our sites as well as future digital products.

Fellowship Requirements:
Summer Research Fellows will be required to submit a final report on their research. The format of this report will be determined by the individual Fellow, in consultation with the Librarian and the Archives and Collections Manager. The Fellows may also be asked to present their research to select HHV staff and supporters, and will be offered the opportunity to take part in HHV programming.

Eligibility:
Only U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals who have a valid visa and/or who have been resident in the United States for three years as of January 31, 2024 may apply.

Long-Distance Applicants:
No housing is available at Historic Hudson Valley. Fellows must obtain housing based on local availability such as Airbnb.com, VRBO.com, etc. Advice concerning locales, accessibility to Historic Hudson Valley, etc., is available by contacting the Librarian.

Contact:
All questions about the Summer Research Fellowships should be directed to the Research Librarian, Catalina Hannan, at librarian@hudsonvalley.org or 914-366-6901. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss possible topics and research sources at Historic Hudson Valley and neighboring institutions in advance of submission.

This job was sourced via WordsofMouth newsletter.