Student Internships
Moira McCain - Hofheimer Art Library
From the Fall of 2022 to the Spring of 2023, I interned with the ODU Libraries Future Information Professionals Internship. I was placed to work in, and am still working at, ODU's Hofheimer Art Library. As an intern, I helped plan and execute two impact projects, one which showcased women in art for Women's History Month and one inventory project for the library's video collection. Before interning, I knew I wanted to work with history. Still, I wasn't sure what direction to follow; however, after being involved in ODU internships, I now know that I wish to pursue a career in library science and archival studies. The internship also allowed me to focus on my research topic for my capstone history class. The Women's History Month display I assisted in designing pushed my focus toward how female artists are represented within art museums and other institutions. Now, I am researching information on the ethical representation of female artists within art museums. Like any institution of knowledge, museums set a precedent for what can and should be considered necessary in history through what items they choose to present to the public. This, in turn, influences public knowledge and social quos of what history and actors in history should be remembered but also influences social stigmas. The underrepresentation of women artists in museums, galleries, and auctions reinforces the social stigma that only the work of male artists can be considered important since it is valued more in our institutions. Thus, museums have a responsibility to the public to ensure that their collections are equitable to begin changing the social stigma surrounding female artists. This is the crux of my argument and the core of the research that I am doing at the Hofheimer Art Library.
Ethan Carter - Slover Library Sargeant Memorial Collections
Here at the Slover, I am doing research on Japanese people in Hampton Roads that were arrested in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. These people were arrested because they were Japanese, and because the US government suspected all Japanese people to be spies unless proven otherwise. It was a time when anti-Japanese sentiments were not only common throughout the country, but they were also legalized via the Immigration Act of 1924, that prevented Japanese people (as well as other Asian ethnicities) from migrating to America. Due to this, and their alien status, most of their stories have gone untold. But, by using official case files constructed on them by authorities, as well as local sources like newspapers and city directories, I am trying to uncover their long-hidden history. Especially on the East Coast and here in Hampton Roads, not much work has been done to commit these people to history. Anyone interested in this topic can look for A Vanished Dream, a 45 minute documentary on YouTube created by the granddaughter of one of these internees from Norfolk.
Jess Spratley - Hunter House Victorian Museum
I was incredibly excited when I received the opportunity to pursue an internship at the Hunter House Victorian Museum, especially since I was going to be primarily working in my area of specialization as a food historian. My main responsibility, as intern, has been working on a project to compile, transcribe, and research a recipe journal found in the museum archives. Much of what I've been doing relates to how the many individuals mentioned in the recipes are connected to the author of the journal. It can be challenging work; the author was very well-connected, and most of the people mentioned are either identified by initials, or wives identified by their husband's name. However, I'm steadily making headway with my research and by scouring directories, genealogical records, and newspaper articles, I've begun to piece together a snapshot of the Norfolk social network in the Victorian period. The recipes themselves are also very fascinating, as they act as a glimpse into the tastes, customs, and fashions of the time, and the various marginal notes written by the author feel so human. I've also been able to take on various side projects, such as researching and creating replicas of Victorian funeral cookies for our mourning exhibit. These projects have also been a great way for me to pursue my interest in interdisciplinary studies, such as applying my pottery skills to make the stamp for the funeral cookies. Learning about daily life and the rituals surrounding food throughout history is why I wanted to become a historian in the first place and I'm so grateful to have the experience of applying this passion to real-life career scenarios.
Matthew Ward - Slover Library Sargeant Memorial Collections
During my several weeks so far at the Slover Library, I've been investigating what was happening in Norfolk during the Civil War. The main dataset I've been working with are the meeting minutes of Norfolk City Council - my focus has been the period during which the city was under Union occupation, from May 1862 through the end of the war. Building on the work of Bennett White - a previous Slover intern from ODU - I have also located personal narratives of soldiers and others who were stationed in or passed through Norfolk and South Hampton Roads during the war. The primary sources - mostly diaries - are housed in archives across the country, but I explored a few which are available online and focus more fully on Norfolk and the surrounding area. I have also investigated published personal narratives, and other resources relevant to my topic, housed in the Sargeant Memorial Collection. The extended period of archival research has been a valuable new experience for me.
