French Heritage Society

French Heritage Society

Preserving our historic treasures to inspire future generations

Curatorial

National WWII Museum

Feb 14, 2025
Learn how to curate and preserve military history at a renowned museum in a vibrant city.

National WWII Museum


Internship Description
This internship provides a unique opportunity for art history or history students to gain an in-depth understanding of the daily tasks involved in the curation and preservation of military history at a renowned museum. Interns will work closely with curatorial staff to contribute to various aspects of the museum’s mission, with a focus on maintaining and enhancing the collection.

A key component of the internship will be assisting with an inventory project focused on the museum’s weapons and artifact collection. The intern will update the museum’s database, assess the state of preservation, and contribute to the care and documentation of these critical historical objects.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Assist in an inventory project, updating the museum’s database for the weapons and artifact collection.
  • Evaluate the state of preservation of items in the collection and contribute to conservation efforts.
  • Work with curatorial staff on tasks related to exhibition planning, collection care, and archival work.
  • Gain hands-on experience with museum best practices for artifact preservation, documentation, and cataloging.
  • Participate in general curatorial tasks related to the museum’s exhibits and collections.

This internship offers a comprehensive, hands-on experience in the field of museum curation, focusing on the preservation and organization of World War II artifacts. Interns will develop valuable skills in collection management, conservation, and research while contributing to the museum’s mission to honor and preserve the history of World War II.

About the National WWII Museum
The National WWII Museum, located in New Orleans, is a premier institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the United States’ contributions to the Allied victory in World War II. With a vast collection of artifacts, exhibits, and personal stories, the museum offers an immersive and educational experience that highlights the global impact of the war and the bravery of those involved. The museum is committed to advancing historical research and curatorial practices to ensure the legacy of World War II is passed down to future generations.

Application Procedure
Complete the online application and submit the following:

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • Case study :
    Write and submit a case study (500 words): Discuss the story of American experience in the WWII (why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today)

Opéra de Paris

Feb 7, 2025
Work closely with historical costume artifacts and gain hands-on experience in museum and archival practices.

Opéra de Paris

About the Costume Heritage Department:

The mission of the Costume Heritage Department of the Opéra de Paris is to store, inventory, and preserve the Paris Opera’s extensive collection of stage costumes and accessories. A significant part of their work involves safeguarding retired costumes from the repertoire. Within their archives, they maintain a collection of approximately 300 opera jewelry pieces dating back to the 19th century, some predating the construction of the Palais Garnier.

Internship Overview

The Costume Heritage Department at the Opéra de Paris is seeking a dedicated and meticulous intern to assist with the preservation, documentation, and research of its opera jewelry collection. This internship provides a rare opportunity to work closely with historical costume artifacts and gain hands-on experience in museum and archival practices.

Responsibilities:

  • Reference each jewelry piece in the Dièse software after assigning an inventory number in the form of a barcode.
  • Create appropriate packaging for the jewelry following preventive conservation standards.
  • Conduct research to identify the productions from which these pieces originated and compile a dedicated documentation file.
  • Assist in the general organization and storage of the costume collection.
  • Collaborate with costume conservation specialists to implement best preservation practices.

Application Procedure
Complete the online application and submit the following:

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • Case study :
    Write and submit a case study (500 words): Discuss the role of costumes and accessories in the performing arts.

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Feb 7, 2025
Collaborate on two key archival projects as part of a campaign to enhance Vaux-le-Vincomte's collection visibility.

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Internship description

As part of a campaign to enhance the visibility of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte’s archival collections, two key projects—an inventory and a digitization initiative—are to be undertaken.

The “Sommier” archive collection, which documents the history of the family and their establishment at the château, provides a remarkable account of family life on the estate and the evolution of its architecture and collections between 1875 and 1967. Comprising around twenty boxes of archives, this untapped resource requires a full inventory. This work will be closely linked to the planned publication of a book dedicated to the château’s collections and the family’s history.

The archival collection of the Association des Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte is the focus of a digitization campaign aimed at increasing accessibility to these materials and showcasing their historical significance. The goal is to make these documents available online via the Association’s website. This collection, which includes fascinating archives from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, is deeply tied to the history of the château but remains largely underutilized today.

The intern will work closely with the conservation officer on both projects. Their responsibilities will include:

  • Conducting a detailed inventory of all documents within the “Sommier” archive boxes, following the classification framework established by the conservation officer.
  • Identifying documents relevant to the publication on the château’s collections and history.
  • Communicating with the authors contributing to the book to provide them with documents that could enrich ongoing research.
  • Using specialized equipment to digitize selected archival materials from the Association des Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte’s collection.
  • Exploring different methods for making these archives accessible and engaging on the Association’s website and presenting proposals for validation by the President of the Association and the conservation officer.
  • Managing the online publication of these materials and ensuring their accessibility for digital consultation.
  • Hosting a presentation for the Association des Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte to share insights from the project and contribute to the broader effort of promoting both the archives and the digitization work.

About Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Designed between 1658 and 1661 for Louis XIV’s Superintendent of Finances, Nicolas Fouquet, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is an architectural masterpiece born from the collaboration of three iconic 17th-century artists: architect Louis Le Vau, landscape designer André Le Nôtre, and painter Charles Le Brun. Open to the public since 1968, the château and its gardens house a remarkable collection of paintings, sculptures, engravings, and decorative arts.

For several years, the Vogüé family has been dedicated to the professional management and preservation of this collection and its reserves. Significant initiatives have already been undertaken, including a comprehensive inventory, the development of a preventive conservation strategy, and the monitoring of temperature and humidity variations in the exhibition rooms. However, much work remains to be done. The addition of an intern would provide valuable support in advancing the project to showcase and enhance the collections, including those belonging to the Association des Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte.

Application Procedure
Complete the online application and submit the following:

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • Case study :
    Write and submit a case study (500 words): Explore the influence of the castle on French art and architecture of the 17th century.

Musée Carnavalet

Jan 29, 2025
Develop an in-depth understanding of the complexities and decision-making of curating a major city museum.

Musée Carnavalet

Internship Description
The purpose of this internship is to provide mature art history students who intends on pursuing a career in curation with an in-depth understanding of the complexities and decision-making process of the Carnavalet Museum.

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to participate in curatorial business meetings and work closely with the curator and her staff in a variety of tasks including parsing through archives and files, cataloguing and researching in the unique museum called “the Paris City Museum”. 

About the Musée Carnavalet
Conceived as a true journey into the past and present of Paris, the museum’s presentation exhibits the greatest historical treasures of the museum, from prehistory to the present. Paintings, sculptures, furniture, woodwork, objets d’art, historical objects, signs, photographs, drawings, engravings, posters, models, medals, coins and archaeological collections retrace the history of Paris in a unique way: it is at once historical, documentary, emotional and close to the heart of all Parisians. 

Application Procedure
Complete the online application and submit the following:

  • Case study
    Write and submit a case study (500 words): Discuss effective communication strategies to engage the younger generation with a historical exhibition.
  • Resume
  • Cover letter