Week 10 AHM

Amber Kelley, Anthracite History Museum, 2017It is my final week here at the Anthracite Heritage Museum. I have learned a large number of useful skills that I think would benefit any career I choose to pursue after my college career; including archival and curatorial work. In my opinion, the most beneficial learning objective achieved from this internship are the learning skills for curatorial work and experiencing the specific areas of a curator’s job. For instance, not long ago I learned how curators attempt to clean artifacts that had mold on them and or were dusty, along with determining whether a frame was durable enough to still preserve the artifact. Also, I learned the difficult task of mounting photographs and the patience and delicacy required for cutting excess mounting board from the photograph. Furthermore, I learned the basic skill that a curator possesses, which is the process of cataloging artifacts from donations or otherwise bought. I learned that a curator records the unique design on the artifact, all of the engravings and or inscriptions on the artifact, and so on.

My time at the museum was great and I am grateful to have worked alongside the volunteers and staff. They are all wonderful and nice individuals with great personalities. During the majority of my time there, I was working with the curator. I am appreciative of his willingness to assist me in my decision of whether I want to be in the museum field and either becoming an archivist or curator. He is fantastic and took the role of a mentor exceedingly well. Regarding my decision about becoming an archivist, my mind is still set on perusing that career. However, if I would rather not become an archivist, I would choose to become a curator. Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Anthracite Heritage Museum and I do not regret interning there. Hopefully in the near future, I would like to go back and volunteer at the museum, maybe next summer.

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