The Internship

The successful candidate will shadow the Assistant Curator of Costume and Textiles in her everyday tasks caring for, documenting, researching, interpreting and displaying the Costume and Textiles collection at York Castle Museum.  This placement will provide substantial experience of handling, assessing, packing and storing historical textiles, plus experience with the content management system Adlib, documentation and cataloguing, preventative conservation, and other aspects of collections management and care.  It will provide the opportunity to learn about the challenges of working with a historical collection (the museum was founded in 1938, and the collection is several decades older), and to gain perspectives into the process by which objects enter the collection.  The internship is also likely to provide experience in mounting historic textiles for display, and/or the creation of appropriate storage for historical textiles (including how to make padded hangers, garment storage bags and other supports).

While the role involves practical tasks, this is not a conservation internship, however the post-holder will learn how to assess which processes can be undertaken by curators, and which require a qualified conservator.  Full training will be provided for all tasks.

The placement will be timed to take place at the end of the taught component of the MA programme and before dissertation research begins in earnest.  The hours of work will be four weeks full-time (37.5 hours per week) in April or May 2020. 

Applicants will be expected to have some knowledge of Western historical fashions from 1500 to the present day and a good overview of Western history from 1500 to the present day.  Essential qualities include good attention to detail, conscientiousness, good time management and excellent written English.  Basic hand and machine sewing skills, and some understanding of garment construction are also desirable.

Accessibility note: the Costume Collection is not currently accessible by lift, only by stairs.

Applying

Eligibility

Studentship applications are welcomed from all full-time students, and part-time students in their second year of study, on the MA in History of Art, or a related pathway degree, regardless of fee status (Home, EU or Overseas).

How to apply 

Please submit an enthusiastic personal statement of no more than 800 words which explains your interest in, and suitability for, this partnership opportunity. In particular, we will be looking for

• your awareness of, interest in and commitment to the period / theme / collection(s) of the partner institution
• any relevant skills, knowledge and/or experience
• how you see the award fitting in with and facilitating your career plans

You are advised to consult the information on this webpage, and the gallery’s own website, before you apply.  Please email your personal statement to history-of-art@york.ac.uk by the deadline of 11am (BST) on Monday 21 October 2019.