The New-York Historical Society offers internships in both our museum and library divisions. From modeling creative exhibition layouts to researching with our curators and educators, college and graduate interns experience unparalleled career development and cultivate fruitful professional relationships. Applicants who are selected to participate in this rewarding, yet demanding experience will be paid a stipend of $1800 or receive academic credit, depending on the intern’s school requirements. The part-time spring internship program is hybrid and will run February 14 through April 22 (unless otherwise specified). Interns may work up to 120 hours throughout the duration of the program.

Requirements:

Applicants should be undergraduate or graduate students though recent graduates may also apply. Please see individual descriptions for department specific requirements. Interns are considered employees, and upon acceptance into the program are required to provide documentation that they are legally allowed to work in the United States. International students may apply and are responsible for providing the same documentation and obtaining the necessary visas.

Please be advised that in accordance with the Key to NYC initiative, the New-York Historical Society has adopted a mandatory vaccine policy. Interns scheduled to work onsite during the course of their internship must provide proof of vaccination ahead of the start of the internship, and will be required to follow health and safety measures put into place by N-YHS while onsite.

Upcoming Dates to Know:

Applications for the Spring 2022 internship are now open, and will
close on Sunday, January 16, at 11:59 pm ET.

Available Positions:

Collections Internship
The New-York Historical Society seeks a Collections intern to help with the management of new collections acquisitions as well as incoming loans for exhibitions, including preparation of checklists, correspondence, and inventories. Intern will learn how to properly house, record, catalogue, and organize collections items. Intern will also assist with maintenance of The Museum System (TMS)—uploading new images, assisting in standardizing entries, and cataloging recent acquisitions. Intern will gain invaluable work experience as part of the daily operations of the Museum's collections department.

The position requires excellent organizational and computer skills and attention to detail. Intern must be enrolled in an Art History, History, Museum Studies, and/or Studio Program with an interest in museum collections management and registration.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Curatorial Internship
The New-York Historical Society seeks a qualified intern to assist with research and planning relating to an upcoming exhibition about the life and legacy of the free Black potter Thomas W. Commeraw. Research will focus on the New York City stoneware industry, in particular stoneware made by Commeraw and his competitors; the cultural, political, and economic environment of late 18th and early 19th-century New York, particularly for its free Black community; and stoneware collecting by antiquarians during the first half of the 20th century. Tasks may also include historical and image research for an introductory video and a digital map of Commeraw’s Manhattan, as well as work on the exhibition checklist. The intern should have a background in 19th-century American material culture and experience working with primary sources and research databases. Some research will be conducted in New-York Historical’s Patricia D. Klingenstein library and at other libraries and museums. Interns will gain first-hand experience in exhibition development, proficiency with a variety of document types and sources, and work closely with the exhibitions team. The intern will report to exhibition co-curator Margi Hofer, New-York Historical’s museum director. The part-time, flexible internship will be remote, with some onsite library research and periodic in-person meetings expected.

Candidates must be graduate level or undergraduate juniors or seniors (graduate students preferred).

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Decorative Arts Internship
The New-York Historical Society is seeking a qualified curatorial intern to assist with upcoming exhibition and collections research. Research will include object-based investigations related to the museum’s decorative arts and material culture collections. The ideal candidate should have a good general knowledge of 18th-, 19th-,and 20th-century primary sources and relevant databases, and be familiar with the decorative arts and material culture of those periods. Interns will get experience in the research phase of exhibition planning, using TMS (The Museum System collections database), and gain proficiency with a variety of document types and sources. The internship will be largely virtual, but work onsite with the museum collection and at New-York Historical’s library is possible. Research may also be conducted at other libraries and museums located throughout New York City. The intern will work closely with Debra Schmidt Bach, Ph.D., Curator of Decorative Arts.

Candidates should be enrolled in a graduate program in American social, design, or material culture history, and have access to Zoom.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Development Internship
The Development department of the New-York Historical Society (N-YHS) seeks a part-time intern for development assistance. This hands-on position in a small, fast-paced fundraising office requires an organized, upbeat, and motivated intern with an interest in gaining experience in a variety of roles, including membership, individual giving, and institutional giving. This internship is perfect for someone seeking an introduction to all aspects of a busy cultural development office operating within a vibrant museum. The Development intern will be assigned special projects, as needed, and assist with drafting donor communications, providing support for major mailings and membership acquisitions, event preparation and staffing, and research. Additional responsibilities include handling general office needs, proofreading office correspondence, and data entry.

A qualified candidate will possess the following skills: Punctual self-starter, with the ability to work well independently, good phone-etiquette and communication skills, excellent writing and proofreading skills, a strong attention to detail, and database experience (Altru, Raiser’s Edge, etc.) is preferable, though not required.

Please be advised that this position is remote, however, participation in onsite opportunities at the New-York Historical Society requires proof of vaccination per New York City's Key to NYC initiative. 

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Graphic Design Internship
The New-York Historical Society seeks a Graphic Design intern to assist staff with the creation of visual materials for exhibitions, brochures, and signage. Interns are responsible for laying out text labels, scanning images, photo retouching, and sizing by using Photoshop, layouts in InDesign or Illustrator with text and images, and production support on large projects.

Preferably, applicants for this internship should be in at least their 3rd year of a Graphic design program and should be comfortable using Adobe design suits (especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) and typography. Applicants must submit 5-6 samples of design work in pdf format by email. Applicants who are selected for interviews must be prepared to show a full set of design portfolio. 

Please be advised that this position is remote, however, participation in onsite opportunities at the New-York Historical Society requires proof of vaccination per New York City's Key to NYC initiative. 

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections Internship
The New-York Historical Society is seeking a qualified intern to work in the Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Drawings. This intern will be involved in various activities centered around exhibition planning and collection upkeep. Some examples of duties include (but are not limited to) assistance with exhibition research, checklist information input into Excel databases, assistance with research for exhibition audio components, general upkeep with collection paperwork, and assistance with collection building.

Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program, preferably working towards a PhD in Art History. Candidates who have research and publication experience are welcomed.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Zimmermann Decorative Arts Internship for College Students from Communities Historically Underrepresented in the Museum Field
New-York Historical is pleased to restart an internship funded by the Marie Zimmermann Foundation to undergraduate students and recent college graduates from communities historically underrepresented in the museum field interested in learning about the research and study of American decorative arts and material culture, while experiencing the day-to-day activities of a large history museum. Zimmermann interns will participate in the hands-on examination and cataloging of collection objects, conduct detailed design, technology, and social history research for new acquisitions and artifacts earmarked for inclusion in upcoming exhibitions, compose blogs related to collection objects and their experiences working with such material, and assist curators in artifact-based presentations. Interns will also participate in the museum’s program of expanding the collection to reflect the diversity of the city and nation today, and will assist curators in locating and acquiring evocative artifacts. Research will be conducted both on-site, in New-York Historical’s preeminent Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, and at other libraries across New York City. Interns will work under the close supervision of the Curator of Decorative Arts and interact with other members of the museum’s curatorial and collections management teams.

Please be advised that in accordance with the Key to NYC initiative, the New-York Historical Society has adopted a mandatory vaccine policy. Interns scheduled to work onsite during the course of their internship must provide proof of vaccination ahead of the start of the internship, and will be required to follow health and safety measures put into place by New-York Historical while onsite.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

Contact Information
For more information on the College & Graduate Internship Program, contact:
Internship Coordinator
internships@nyhistory.org
212-873-3400 ext. 505
The New-York Historical Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer