Greening Youth Foundation
The HBCUI intern will conduct research, present interpretive programs and demonstrations, and train interpretation and education staff on the life and contributions of Moses Williams, a man of color who “captured history with his silhouettes yet had his own work erased from historical memory for generations. The intern will explore themes of freedom and enslavement, identity, and economic opportunity through the essential question: “What Did Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness mean to Moses Williams?
The project presents exciting opportunities for the intern to highlight the story of Moses Williams, an enslaved artist who earned his freedom through a silhouette machine, called a physiognotrace. The intern will engage in primary and secondary source research to reveal connections between Williams’ story and park sites, including Independence Hall and the Second Bank of the United States. Although the park has conducted preliminary research, there is still much to learn about Williams, an enslaved -and then free servant to the Peale family who once operated a museum on the second floor of Independence Hall. This research will entail grappling with questions of identity and the limits of economic opportunity topics with great relevance to youth today. To conduct the research, the intern will utilize the resources of both the park and area institutions. Drexel University is currently creating a digital 3D model of Peale’s Museum, including the physiognotrace. Two local organizations Philadelphia Museum of Art and the American Philosophical Society hold Williams silhouettes in their collection. The park’s collection includes a piece of a silhouette possibly done by Williams found in Independence Hall. By engaging with these collections and institutions, the intern will make valuable connections with a variety of museum professionals.
The intern will share the research through web and social media writing, staff training, and actual demonstrations of a physiognotrace machine for the visiting public in the park’s portrait gallery. The park currently displays a reproduction physiognotrace, but does not operate it. Research shows that demonstrations are powerful engagement tools. By creating actual silhouettes on the machine, the intern will create lasting memories and mementos for visitors, while highlighting the contributions of a man of color in Philadelphia in the early 1800s.
The potential impact of the work is tremendous: tens of thousands of visitors typically visit the park each summer; the park’s staff includes 60 interpreters who can amplify the information to the park’s more than 3 million annual visitors; and the park’s website reaches 800,000 views each year.
The project serves as an ideal vehicle to contribute to the park’s interpretive program while providing an opportunity for the intern to build professional relationships with NPS staff, and gain confidence in public presentation of materials a valuable skill that translates to all career fields. The intern will learn about the different park divisions through the built-in collaborative nature of the project, working with the park historian and curator on the research and physiognotrace/portraiture study while developing the public-facing program and articles in conjunction with the Interpretation & Education staff. The intern will have the option (if interested, but not required) to interact with the public in reproduction 19th century clothing and learn about the role of living history within the field of public history.
Additional supporting resources at area institutions include Drexel University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
To apply for this job please visit www2.jobdiva.com.