Dumbarton Oaks Oral History Project

The Oral History Project at Dumbarton Oaks began in 2008 with the mission of interviewing and recording all people who are or have been significantly associated with Dumbarton Oaks. Two Oral History summer interns will (1) research the biographies of potential interviewees, employing the Dumbarton Oaks Archives, Library, and online resources; (2) conduct audio-visual interviews of approximately one hour; (3) transcribe these and any outstanding interviews from the audio-visual discs; (4) prepare the transcribed interviews for web publication (no html or other coding experience is required), and (5) prepare blog entries on the internship project and experience.

No prior experience with oral history interviewing is required, although the interns should demonstrate attention to detail, good computer and typing skills, and interest in conducting face-to-face interviews. Appropriate training will be provided so that the interns can prepare for and conduct successful interviews. The interns will further their research skills by assembling interviewee biographies from archival sources and formulating questions pertinent to the interviewees’ experiences with Dumbarton Oaks. They will acquire some knowledge in the history of Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, or Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks. In addition, the interns will gain skills in online and blog publication.

Image: Alexander Alexandrovich Vasiliev with a donkey at Tasco, Mexico, 1946. Alexander A. Vasiliev Papers, Dumbarton Oaks Archives.

To apply for an internship with the Dumbarton Oaks Oral History Project, please send (1) your résumé; (2) a statement of interest describing any relevant experience and how this internship fits into your personal and professional development; and (3) the names of two referees familiar with your scholarly work (preferably as one pdf document) to Internships@doaks.org. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2013.

For more details, please write to Internships@doaks.org.