Specialized in Object and Library & Archive Conservation
Third Year
Internships
I split my third year between two institutions on the University of Pennsylvania campus. I gained more object conservation experience at the Penn Museum under the supervision of Lynn Grant and bolstered my library and archive conservation skills at the Steven Miller Conservation Center located in the Van Pelt library under the supervision of Sarah Reidell.
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Excerpt from The Museum's Mission:
​
"Home to over a million extraordinary artifacts and archaeological finds from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean, the Penn Museum has been uncovering our shared humanity across continents and millennia since 1887. In bridging archaeology, the study of objects made by humans, with anthropology, the science of humanity, we chart a course for finding one’s own place in the arc of human history.
We are dedicated to telling powerful stories that emerge from excavations and research across the world. And nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere will you be greeted by a 3000-year-old, 15-ton Egyptian sphinx! "
​
Image courtesy of the museum
Penn Museum Experience Summary
While at the museum I was given a variety of treatment projects that you can read more about below. But my internship experience was not limited to only treatment. My experience began with staff introductions and a variety of tours to become acclimated to the space and have a good overall picture of the collections and collection storage spaces at the museum. My first week I assisted in performing reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) of a lead scroll. I also attended regularly scheduled meetings with other departments and staff. One of my first regularly schedule meetings to attend was the student show meeting. Every year the Penn museum takes on student interns who curate an exhibit in the Idea Lounge gallery space. As the conservation representative for this year’s exhibition and my responsibilities included giving conservation related feedback during the object selection period, treating the objects, giving display recommendations to the exhibitions team, and participating in the object installation. I also participated in the condition survey of the Upper Egypt galleries in preparation for the conservation of the objects in the new Ancient Egypt and Nubia exhibition set to open in a few years. This included doing archival research on some of the monumental (literally) objects in the gallery like the Stela found in the expedition to Beth Sean. I wrote a blog post on the Stela archive findings as well.
The conservation department partnered with the learning programs department to host a conservation workshop for high school students on June 4th. We began the workshop with a tour of the conservation department and a close looking activity in the galleries, followed by lunch. The second half of the workshop consisted of activity stations for the students to rotate between. The stations included ceramic reassembly, gel cleaning, microscopy, UV light, and puzzles. I observed the de-installation of two sarcophagi from the Upper Egypt Gallery, one of which needed to be overturned using a gantry to accurately evaluate treatment needs. A fun part of the de-installation was finding some old photos and UPenn ephemera that visitors must have slid underneath the sarcophagus when it was displayed sans case. I brought my library experience to the museum by hinging some paintings on paper from India to be put on display.
Museum Vs. Library
Understanding the way different conservation related institutions (museums, libraries, archives, special collections, etc.) function is an interest of mine. Spending my third year at two institutions gave me the opportunity to compare and contrast their functionality as it relates to the conservation department.
The Steven Miller Conservation Laboratory
Excerpt from Penn Libraries Website:
The Steven Miller Conservation Laboratory cares for the long-term stability of the Libraries' collections and supports the mandate of the Preservation Department. The lab has three primary goals: stabilization and protection of the Penn Libraries collection in all analog formats; preparation for exhibits and loans; and collaborative outreach to support other areas of the library and pedagogy.
​
The Lab also serves the Kislack Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. The goals of the Kislak Center align with those of the Penn Libraries as a whole: to make our collections accessible; to use technology in innovative and meaningful ways; to enhance teaching and research; and to preserve our cultural resources for future generations.
Library Lab Experience Summary
I was given treatment projects, mold remediation projects, and some additional tasks to complete while at the library, all which you can read more about below. Much like the museum, my library experience also began with tours around the collections and relevant storage spaces. I was also given a tour of Special Collections Processing (SPCP) where the archivists work on processing and creating finding aids for the special collections. I attended regularly scheduled meetings at the library as well. My robust introduction to the library stacks came when I assisted in collecting environmental data from the HOBO Pem2 monitors (soon to be replaced with monitors that upload data wirelessly). Conservation sometimes contracts out surveys in attempts to keep up with library collections care needs across campus. I was present for when the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) conducted Fisher Fine Arts Library's preservation needs survey, and the Museum Library's preservation needs survey and collections needs survey. While at the library I was able to expand my professional network and connect with colleagues. Samantha Hill, Curator for Civic Engagement, was instrumental in involving me with community preservation work with the Heritage West Project, which you can also read more about below.
