• Simmons Graduate Internship Program
• Curatorial Internship, Roddis Clothing Collection
• Curatorial Internship, Bachmann Collection of Studio Glass
• Clark Travel-to-Collections Research Grant Program

Simmons Graduate Internship Program, The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan
The Henry Ford’s Simmons Internship Program is designed for current graduate students pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, conservation labs, or related fields. This internship provides participants with a great opportunity to gain in-depth work experience in a major American history museum.

Stipend and Terms of Internship
Simmons interns are awarded stipends for a minimum 12-week full time internship. Starting and ending dates for individual internships are negotiable. The Simmons Internship Program is funded by the Vera W. and Walter E. Simmons Endowment Fund.

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, stating how your graduate studies, work and/or volunteer experience and personal interests qualify you for the specific project
• A résumé
• Two letters of recommendation regarding your qualifications for the internship, submitted directly by the authors

The deadline for application is Friday, April 10 (postmarked or emailed by 11:59 PM EST).

Please submit inquiries, letter of application, résumé and letters of recommendation to HistoryInternship@TheHenryFord.org or Saige Jedele, Simmons Internship Coordinator, The Henry Ford (20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI 48124-5029).

• Curatorial Internship, Roddis Clothing Collection
  This internship, focused around the Roddis Clothing Collection, offers interdisciplinary experience in archival arrangement and description, material culture documentation, and exhibit development. The Roddis Collection, a recent acquisition of clothing and accessories, documents the story of a style-conscious, American upper-middle class family from the Midwest. The collection also includes paper and electronic copies of Roddis family documents and photographs; ephemera; and periodicals.

  Under the direction of the Curator of Domestic Life and the Digital Access & Preservation Archivist, the intern will complete the arrangement and description of the documents, photographs, ephemera and periodicals. Other activities will involve capturing cataloging information in the museum’s collections management system, and supporting Roddis exhibit development.

  Successful candidate should be currently enrolled in a program leading to a master’s degree in Museum Studies, Archival Studies, History, American Studies, or a related field. Interest in clothing history beneficial. Good organizational and communication skills, accuracy, and attention to detail are essential. Experience with material culture, researching historical objects, and familiarity with standard museum cataloging and archival practices is desirable.

• Curatorial Internship, Bachmann Collection of Studio Glass
  The Henry Ford’s Glass Collection is the third largest collection of American Glass, comprising approximately 10,000 objects. The collection spans the 18th through the 20th centuries with significant depth in 19th century pressed and art glass. The recent acquisition of the Bruce and Ann Bachmann collection of Studio Glass updates our holdings into the 21st century. We are currently in the planning stages of a dedicated glass gallery in Greenfield Village.

  Numbering approximately 300 pieces, the Bachmann Collection is an encyclopedic history of the Studio Glass Movement. Every artist of import is represented by at least one work, many by multiple examples. Beginning in 1987, the Bachmanns collected retrospectively, consciously tracing the evolution of the Movement.

  This intern will document the Bachmann Collection:

  • Conducts oral histories with the donor on the acquisition of each of approximately 300 objects.
  • Places the object within the Oeuvre of the artist and produces a report on each to be used by the museum’s registrars. This information will be captured in preparation for cataloguing in the museum’s collections management system.

  Successful candidate should be currently enrolled in a program leading to a master’s degree in Museum Studies, Art/Design/Craft History, American Studies, or a related field. Good organizational and communication skills, accuracy, and attention to detail are essential. Experience with the History of Craft, researching historical objects, and familiarity with standard museum cataloging and archival practices is desirable.

Clark Travel-to-Collections Research Fellowship
The Clark Travel-to-Collections Fellowship provides support for research using the automotive history collections of The Henry Ford. The generous donation of the Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Library in 1991 substantially increased these collections. Applications are welcomed from researchers who want to use the automotive history collections and plan to publish or publicly present the results of their research. Researchers from all disciplines are welcome and may include doctoral candidates, automotive researchers, journalists, teachers, librarians, museum curators, archivists, and students. The grant covers a minimum two-week period up to a maximum of two months. The research may cover any area of automotive history, and may include design, manufacturing, marketing, industrial policy, corporate history, or labor relations. Research should be directed toward production of a specific publication or scholarly work, such as an article, chapter of a book, lecture, film, etc.

Grant Amount and Terms of Grant
The Clark Travel-to-Collections Research Grant Program provides up to $2,400 to defray travel expenses for researchers traveling to use The Henry Ford’s transportation history collections. Recipients should be in residence for at least two weeks and be prepared to devote a full time effort to the research funded by the fellowship. At least one fellowship will be awarded annually. View topics of past grant recipients.

Application Process
Applications will be accepted from March 1 to December 31, 2014 for research to be completed during 2015.Applicants will be notified of the Selection Committee’s decision by February 15, 2015. Applications require a statement describing the project, submission of a budget, a timeline for completion of the research, a curriculum vitae, and two letters of support.

Clark Travel-to-Collections Program
Dina Mein, PhD
Director, Research Library
The Henry Ford
20900 Oakwood Blvd
Dearborn, MI 48124-5029
DinaM@thehenryford.org

The Clark Travel-to-Collections Grant Program is supported by the Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Endowment Fund.