From Our Interns:

As summer comes to an end and the start of the fall semester draws near, it is time for the two of us to say our goodbyes to the Chemung County Historical Society. We have spent the last few months interning here and as our last days approach we wanted to share with everyone what our experiences were like. Before we get into that, let us both introduce ourselves.

Hello! I am Phoenix Andrews. I am 21 years old and a senior history major at Alfred University. I transferred to Alfred University in the fall of 2021 after getting my Associates degree at Corning Community College. I plan to graduate in the spring of 2023 and am hoping to start Grad School the following semester.

Hi there! My name is Kevin Earley. I am 23, almost 24 years old, and going into my senior year as a history major at Alfred University! I transferred over from Alfred State last semester, after transferring from Corning Community College in the fall of 2020. I will graduate in the spring of 2023, and I hope to attend Grad School at some point. I am still working out my next steps, but I have all the faith in the world that the next chapter is going to be amazing!

The two of us grew up and live in Chemung County so having the opportunity to intern at our local historical society was something neither of us could pass by. During our time here, we got to work on many different projects with the amazing staff at the Chemung County Historical Society. Ahead we will be describing some of those projects, what our goals were, and anything we may have learned from that experience.

Updating Education Cases

Separately we worked on updating two of the cases available for schools to borrow.

Phoenix- I worked on the Westward Expansion case. Some material was outdated or contained things not as helpful in modern classrooms, like CDs. I proposed some changes that could be made to current activities and created a lesson plan for a new interactive activity. It was a nice experience creating something that I know might be used in classrooms at some point.

Kevin- I looked through our case on Pop Culture. I ensured that everything was accounted for and looked over the potential that the case had. The case has a lot of potential for lessons; however, nothing new has been set in stone.

Representing the Museum

We both had opportunities to get out into the community.

Phoenix- One of the first things I did as an intern was represent the museum at the Early-Childhood Education Fair held at the Arnot Mall. I, along with a museum volunteer, got to meet many local families. In addition, Kevin and I attended the Brand Park Tuesday market together to  help get the word out about new exhibits and the museum’s summer walking tours. Being able to work with the community and show children that museums can be interesting to them is one of my favorite parts of going to events.

Kevin- I had the opportunity to represent the museum at the Juneteenth Event. I heard many wonderful stories and appreciated being out in the community. Starting in June, I had the opportunity to be at Wisner Market weekly. Along with another volunteer, Bob, we represented the museum to the community.

Blog Posts

You may have noticed that this is not a first blog for either of us!

Phoenix researching in the archives

Phoenix- I wrote a blog titled “Helen Booth Sprecher,” which covered Booth’s time in the WAAC/WAC during WWII. It also accompanied a panel we created for The Moving Wall’s visit to Eldridge Park. This experience gave me the opportunity to use our archives to read documents related to her.    

Kevin- I wrote a blog on the history of hockey in the City of Elmira called “Our Town, Our Teams: Hockey in Elmira.” I wrote it based on statistics and newspaper articles from The Star Gazette. It ranges from the Elmira College teams to the professional teams that used to call our area home. I also wrote an article on the history of football at Notre Dame High School which is being considered for the Chemung Historical Journal.

Community Work

We’ve gone out into the community and documented local history.

Phoenix- When The Moving Wall was at Eldridge Park, I took our camera to take photos and document this event for our records. It was interesting doing something like this because in the future people can look back and see what took place.

Kevin- As the result of a research request that we had received, I visited the War Town Monument (Sullivan Expedition) to record and confirm that the information gathered was accurate.

Exhibitions

Together, we worked with Monica, the Curator, to assist her with the installation of the new exhibit “Receding Waters: 50 Years After the Flood.” We de-installed the previous exhibit, returning objects to storage. We retrieved and helped prepare artifacts for the new exhibit. We worked in collections and became familiar with the software that organizes everything. We printed and assembled panels for the exhibit, and learned how to navigate various technical issues. It became an opportunity to improve our troubleshooting and creative problem-solving skills.

Smaller Projects

We had the chance to work on smaller projects too, things that are often overlooked or not thought about as much but showed us just how much goes into being a Curator or Archivist.

The two of us worked with Rachel to pre-catalog new and previously donated books for the collection.

Phoenix- Some of the other smaller projects I worked on included verifying dates for recently donated technology and artifacts to be included in the new exhibit. I also created a 1972 Flood Photo Album on Chemung County Historical Society’s Facebook page using photos from the archives.

Kevin- I assisted our archivist, Rachel, in clipping and filing newspapers. It has prompted me to start my own collection of magazines and articles that I receive to save for my own use.  

Teaching

Kevin guiding 2nd graders

As a collective with the Museum staff, we hosted visitors from local elementary schools and summer cohesion groups. We gained a lot of experience working with children and confidence in how to improvise solutions; learning when it is okay to move on and scrap an idea that is not quite working out the way we previously planned.

Grants

The museum’s Director, Bruce Whitmarsh, took time to share how grant funding works. He walked us through the process of applying for grants and talked about the importance of grants in operations at a small institution.

Overall, as our time here comes to a close, we both want to express our gratitude for the opportunities we were given. We both were able to experience and learn so much in the few months we were here and none of that would have been possible if it were for the amazing people who work and volunteer here. Everyone accepted us with open arms, and we can both agree that we already miss interning at the Chemung County Historical Society. 

Phoenix Andrews and Kevin Earley

 

 

Time Well Spent

by Emily Weise, Elmira College intern

During my time here at the Chemung County Historical Society, I have been lucky enough to experience a subject I truly love, but also to work with people I admire. From day one, my experiences have been nothing short of an adventure. Between Kelli’s obsession with adorable historical dogs, Erin’s love of dressing up (as practically anything) and, Rachel’s vast and really incredible knowledge of every article, photo and book in the archives, there really was not a dull moment.  

My time at the Historical Society has allowed me to experience history in a way I never had before. I say “experience” because there is no other way to describe it. I have spent my whole life reading about history, looking at history in museums and watching history on television; however, this was the first time I was able to touch history, to hold it in my hands.

The feeling is insurmountable. Holding a picture, document, or article of clothing in my hands makes my mind race. I begin thinking about who owned it? How did they come to own it? When did they use it? How did it get here? Who donated it? And why? Corny as this may sound, it really is true; I am a history nerd at heart.

I was able to work extensively with Rachel, the museum’s archivist, to catalogue a box of photographs from World War II. Many of these photos had hand-written inscriptions, yellowed tape, or black album paper stuck to the back. Apart from the interesting subject of the photos, these small details were my favorite things to see because it showed that at one time, these photos were important to someone. Details like those that I described are what made me realize that the work the historical society is doing for the community is invaluable. Not only are they preserving these unique and priceless items, but they are also making them readily available for the people that want to connect with the past.

World War II loan parade at Water and Main streets in Elmira, 1944

I also was able to work with Erin, the museum’s curator on dating antique hand fans. I have been a fashion girl all my life and I think it is safe to say that this experience has changed my views about fashion forever. Today, fashion is all about the most expensive item of clothing you own, or who designed it. Then (about 1850 – 1950) fashion was about art. Granted, art is still a major part of fashion today, but not in the same context that it was then. These fans were truly exquisite. The time it must have taken to paint on the designs or weave the ribbons is unimaginable. They are truly works of art.

Embroidered silk hand fan, c. 1870

My experiences at the Historical Society have really changed my perspectives on history. I have a much wider understanding of the city and county I live in, the people who created it, and the people who live here now. To me, my time at the Historical Society has been time well spent.

Big Changes at the Museum: An Intern's Perspective

By Tori Riley, Curatorial and Education Intern

As you all may know, the CCHS has underwent a massive change in the past couple of months. The Bank Gallery was completely redone. The redesign process began my first week here at the museum and it has provided me with the unique opportunity to watch the changes unfold.

Our first task was preparing the walls to be redesigned. This entailed taking off all of the old text panels and pictures. In order to do that, we had to scrape all of the walls, which was definitely an interesting process. This was actually one of the first tasks I did here at CCHS, and let’s just say I was a bit over dressed the first day.  Nevertheless, I learned the most efficient ways and gathered only a few nicks and bruises. By the end of the tearing down stage, I officially knew the best way to take adhesive off the walls (it is a combination of fabric softener and elbow grease).  I also had some entertaining stories to share with my friends at school about scraping walls.

I also had the opportunity to help with the Exhibit Committee, which is made up of our Curator, Erin Doane, Educator, Kelli Huggins, and Archivist, Rachel Dworkin. This committee works to develop and design the different exhibits that come to CCHS.  They also write labels and approve on the general layout of the space. Additionally, they help to select objects and images that will fill the space. The meetings consist of going over layouts, editing labels and touring the space to visualize the space.  Again, this was an incredible learning experience of Oxford commas and creating the narrative of the county. Half of the exhibit describes the history of Chemung County (which admittedly I knew very little about prior to my internship). The other half highlights Mark Twain’s Elmira (you can learn what a Sanatorium is!).

If you have been to the museum in the past, you will know that there were a lot of cases and walls. The newly redesigned Bank Gallery features a completely new floor plan. To do this, we shifted all of the cases around. Well not necessarily us because a company was hired to do most of the heavy lifting (no pun intended).  The day before the big move, however, we moved many of the smaller cases out of the way and shifted some walls. When I came back that Wednesday the Gallery was completely redone. Erin and I worked to set the cases, risers and some of the smaller objects.

I have also been able to work with Kelli (Education Coordinator here at CCHS) to develop several of the interactive for the exhibit. These will be drawers and stations that you get to touch and experience history. I will not spoil these but I do want to let you know that the Civil War interactive is my personal favorite. Also, make sure you check out the Gilded Age entertainment one too!

One of the coolest things  about the exhibit was the giant printer! This printer is like five feet wide and can print up to 44 inches of paper, this actually was my staff pick a few weeks ago. All of the text panels, images and labels came from this behemoth of a printer. Although, it was a little nerve wracking putting up the text panels, Erin is a professional, so I let her take the lead.

The opening was next on our list. I was gone for a week on our midterm break and when I arrived back at the museum, it was four days before the opening! There was just a few last minute items  to be done, just some clean ups, setting  objects, and of course, testing the interactives. Then, before everyone knew it, it was Thursday and time for the opening. It was a rousing success and I hope everyone enjoyed it.  

It is hard to describe the feeling of accomplishment that I had, as I watched the gallery come together. It was always a little surreal to walk into the gallery and see it dissembled and think, "How are we ever going to finish this?". But we did and it was an excellent experience. One of the nicest things was that my opinions mattered and I have a piece of myself in that exhibit.  I hope to see you at the museum soon.  Remember to grab a selfie with Mark Twain!

An Intern's Experience

by Tyler Ostrander, Elmira College Intern

Over the course of my internship, I have worked on many assignments that will assist me in the future, as I plan to become a curator after finishing graduate school.  I have done research on World War I objects within the museum’s collection, assisted in preparing the museum’s new permanent exhibit, and even created a virtual exhibit on the watercolor paintings of Talitha Botsford.  

My personal favorite, though, was designing the museum’s “New to the Vault” exhibit.  For this exhibit, I had to look in the museum’s database to find objects that were recently added to the collection, choose what I found interesting and what would fit in the space, and arrange these objects inside the vault.  These objects included the shorts and shirt that Carl Proper wore for the 1996 Summer Olympic torch relay, a Japanese belt picked up by an American soldier in Okinawa during World War II, and even a purse made from alligator skin (with the head and feet still attached.)  This was the first time I had the opportunity to design an exhibit, and I found it quite enjoyable.  This internship at the Chemung County Historical Society was a great opportunity for me, as I have not only learned with detail the inner workings of a museum; I have also solidified my interest in seeking a career in the museum field in the near future.  In closing, I would like to thank the staff at the Chemung County Historical Society for making this experience as informative and entertaining as possible.

New to the Vault exhibit designed by Tyler Ostrander

Adventures of an Intern, Part Two

By Alyssa Hickey, Collections Intern and Elmira College student

My next mission had to deal with the priority boxes. Priority boxes are the boxes we grab in case there is a fire. They have nice bright pink labels on them and they are near the door. I had a list of the items that should have been in the boxes but weren’t. So I went on a quest to find the missing objects and return them to their rightful home. On my journey I had to find a particular vase. There are boxes everywhere in Collections. Everywhere. These boxes are brown, unsuspecting and NOT acidic. I see these boxes all of the time and none of them have ever threatened me….until that day. While searching for the vase I almost died of a heart attack. I innocently walked over to the brown box that the vase was in and lifted the lid. Like in a horror movie I turned slowly to see a World War I gas mask staring straight into my soul. If I was a lesser woman I would have screamed but instead I jumped in the air and yelled, “GAH!” With my heart beating out of my chest and my pride slowly dying on the ground, I managed to calm myself down enough to carefully pick up the gas mask and put it to the side in order to search  for the vase. I hope that someday that mask will scare another unsuspecting intern because after thinking about what happened I can’t help but laugh. Plus, it’s always funnier if it happens to someone else. My only regret is not being there when it happens.

My final project dealt with textiles, the hanging clothing. I never knew how much museums had in their storage rooms. I remember going to museums as a child and seeing a multitude of objects on display and now I know that what I saw was maybe 1/4 of what the museum owns. There are lots and lots of clothing in Collections. All of the hanging clothing needed to be photographed and entered into the database, pretty much the same thing that I did with the paintings. However, the clothing posed a different challenge because black clothing is extremely hard to photograph without it looking ugly. In order to take the photos I grabbed the clothing off the rack and hung it on a golden hook, in front of a blue sheet. Then I recorded the ID number of the article of clothing and removed the plastic covering. After snapping a full length photo of the piece of clothing I wrapped it back up and put it back on the rack. My favorite was a fuchsia dress that came in three parts. The first piece was the silk slip dress, followed by the soft floor length over dress that had a sweetheart neckline and the last piece was a floor length matching jacket that delicately draped from the hanger. It was so elegant and pretty that I wish to have a replica of it someday.

After the process of cataloging the hanging clothing I decided to go one step further.  During the project I kept hearing people wishing that the hanging clothing was in chronological order so they could just go into the back room of Collections and pluck a tuxedo jacket from the 1940’s out of a line-up with ease. This intrigued me. So I asked if I could organize the hanging clothing chronologically and I was happily given permission. Before touching the clothing I made hundreds of charts (or it at least seemed like it) for the hanging clothing. Eventually I organized my data enough that I could finally transport the clothing around.  After switching around the clothing from place to place I catalogued their new locations and now I have to place new labels on them, to indicate where they need to go after being put on display. I’m not done labeling everything but soon my mission will be complete and then I can go home feeling a sense of accomplishment.

These were my adventures at the Chemung County Historical Society.

Adventures of an Intern, Part One

By Alyssa Hickey, Collections Intern and Elmira College student

On my first day of my internship I got to know Velcro. We were setting up for the new Civil War exhibit and the company that created the display panels forgot to put Velcro on the back. The important task fell upon my experienced hands to cut multiple strips of Velcro. I have to admit that it was therapeutic. Over the next few days I helped finish the exhibit. At one point I held a sword and rifle. It was awesome!  Of course, I had to pretend to shoot absolutely nothing because it made the experience complete. I tried my hand at the sword but that was an epic fail so I’ll just stick to firearms from now on. By the way, that rifle was heavy. HEAVY. I feel for those soldiers that had to lug that thing around and then were expected to shoot it constantly in battle, or use the bayonet at the end of it. That would have ended badly for me; and I would have been drafted because the little jar full of Popsicle sticks, red dot for not drafted and black for drafted, always gave me a black dot. Always. Except for the one time I searched for a red dot. I won that round.

After my exhibit fun I got to travel into the secret mysterious room, called Collections. I swear that place is so exciting. All in one room are objects from CENTURIES of humans. Centuries! In one hand I could be holding a tool from the Native Americans that lived in the Chemung area long ago and the other a 1960’s election button for Nixon. However, I did not handle the delicate objects that way. In order to touch the objects in the mysterious Collections Room I had to wear gloves. Wearing gloves prevented the oils on my hands from damaging the historical objects.

My first task in Collections was the back left corner, the paintings. The paintings rest snugly in two shelving units. Please note the word snugly. The paintings were wrapped in cloth or packaging plastic, which means that they take up more space than they should. The wrapping is to protect the paintings but I can tell you right now it was the bane of my existence. Not only were the paintings snugly placed in the shelving but they also had the tendency to fall apart if they were really old, which was always a nice challenge. I had to take out every painting in Collections, photograph it and then write its number and a description.  After the pictures were uploaded onto the computer I would  enter them into the database, along with a description of each piece.  Here’s the cool part: every object you have ever seen in a museum has an ID number hidden somewhere on it. I had to find the ID number of the painting and sometimes there would be multiple numbers on one painting so I had to write them all down, later trying to find the one actually in the database. It was a long process. However, it was fun to see all of the art. There were water, acrylic and oil paintings. There were multiple charcoal renderings, which were my favorite. I can still remember the older lady who wore black clothing with a pink bow. It was gorgeous. There were also photographs that were so long in length that it was hard to get them in and out of their cubby hole. They were mainly photographs of groups of soldiers but it was interesting to see all of their different faces. It made me wonder what happened to all of them. Did they survive the war or did they die? What were their names and where did they go? Alas, I have no idea. Once everything once entered into the database my first mission was complete!

Essential Pieces

By Kerry Lippincott, Education Coordinator

Maybe you've seen them around.  Many have a special interest so they have written articles for The Chemung Historical Journal or given a program during one of our lecture series.  Every March several serve as judges for Southern Tier Regional History Day.  During the summer some man the historical society's booth at community events.  There are also others who work behind-the-scenes.  To assist in the managing of the historical society, several serve on the board of trustees or on committees.  Others help care for the archival and 3-D collections by cataloging artifacts, conducting inventories or doing data entry.

All this work is done by our volunteers and interns.  Though I and the other staff members take every opportunity to express our appreciation for all the work done by our volunteers and interns, I firmly believe that you can never say 'thank you' enough.  This being National Volunteer Week I wanted to especially take a moment to express my gratitude to our volunteers and interns for the time and dedication they give to the historical society.

When a volunteer or intern begins at the historical society I always say "Welcome, to the CCHS family!"  and I truly believe that we are family.  Whether you are a staff member, volunteer, intern or trustee we are all part of a family tied together by the love of local history and a belief in the historical society's mission.

A few years ago I found a saying about essential pieces, which I think applies to our volunteers and interns.  "Essential Pieces - Isn't it wonderful thing how we're all different? Each of us has strengths and skills to share and when we link our individual strengths together we're invincible."

To our essential pieces (and to all essential pieces out there) I give a heartfelt THANK YOU.