Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships in the Humanities at Dumbarton Oaks

The library is excited to offer an Archival Fellowship for a recent Harvard graduate to assist in processing and describing archival collections in the Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives (ICFA).

The archival fellow will work with staff in ICFA on processing a significant collection related to the conservation work of the Byzantine Institute in Istanbul and Cyprus and cataloging photographs documenting that same conservation work. Dumbarton Oaks acquired a small collection of the personal papers of conservator and Byzantine scholar Ernest Hawkins in 2018. The fellow will write an EAD-encoded finding aid for the Ernest Hawkins papers, as well as organize and rehouse the collection in archival enclosures. The fellow will also investigate linkages between the Hawkins papers and the Byzantine Institute and Dumbarton Oaks fieldwork records and papers, as Hawkins worked as a mosaic restorator for the Byzantine Institute. The fellow will conduct item-level cataloging for previously unpublished photographs which document restoration at sites where Hawkins worked such as Fenari Isa Camii and Fethiye Camii in Istanbul, and the Monastery of St. Neophytos in Cyprus.

Requirements:

• BA from Harvard in history, art history or related field

Preferred qualifications:

• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Excellent time-management, organizational, and research skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Interest in archival or special collections work

The fellow will be guided and trained on archival principles and practices by the Manager of ICFA as well as ICFA’s Archivist and Visual Materials Cataloger. The fellow will gain knowledge of Byzantine material culture as well as principles and common standards of archival organization, description, and cataloging. The fellow will learn to work in two different special collections management systems and gain valuable experience in project management. This is a great opportunity for students contemplating a career in the field of libraries, special collections, or archives.

The museum is excited to offer a Curatorial Fellowship for a recent Harvard graduate to help with the various stages of the Museum department’s curatorial work. Drawing on the strengths of the collection in Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, the fellow will join the museum team to assist with several curatorial projects.

In 2024-2025, the Byzantine Collection will be in the advanced stages of several collaborative research projects for publication and exhibition. This includes publications on mosaic artifacts in Byzantium and the Americas resulting from a previous year’s workshop, and a research project on the collection’s late Roman bronze horse from South Arabia in the context of early medieval Indian Ocean exchanges. These collections-based projects will result in publications and exhibitions, carried out in collaboration with DC museum colleagues as well as teams of national and international scientists, conservators, art historians, and anthropologists. The curatorial fellow will thus assist in all aspects of researching, publishing, and presenting this research to scholarly and broad publics.

Requirements:

• BA from Harvard in art history or related field 

Preferred qualifications:

• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Excellent time-management, organizational, and research skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and creatively
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Interest in material culture, theoretical historical approaches, and innovative museum display and presentation
• Experience with image rights as well as organizing, editing, and/or creating illustrations a plus

In addition to gaining knowledge about the specific collections, the fellow will acquire experience with electronic databases, the content management system, and print and online publication procedures and workflows. This is a great opportunity for students contemplating graduate work in art history or museum studies, and/or a future career involving exhibit development, museum outreach and education, or digital publication and curation.

The Digital Media Fellow will assist with photography, video, and social media projects that showcase the Dumbarton Oaks collections. The fellow will also work under the supervision of the Communications Manager to develop content for our social media feeds and other digital platforms. Regular activities will include capturing the life and time of the Dumbarton Oaks fellowship community; documenting events and programming; developing content for social media; devising new ways of highlighting our exhibits; and coming up with ideas for conveying the research conducted at Dumbarton Oaks to the broader public. The fellow will also evaluate and assist with the organization and preservation of new content developed for our digital media.

Preferred qualifications:

• Strong video shooting, editing, and narrative storytelling skills
• Familiarity with social media video creation and editing (longform video, Reels and Stories)
• Strong photography and/or videography skills
• Ability to conceive and develop projects in new and innovative ways
• Strong judgment and confidence, ability to work independently
• Enthusiasm for using digital platforms as a tool for education and communication
• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability and desire to learn new software and technologies quickly and adapt to change
• Experience with Final Cut, Premiere, or similar video editing software
• Experience with other Creative Cloud applications (such as Audition, AfterEffects, Photoshop, Illustrator) preferred

Dumbarton Oaks is committed to developing and delivering innovative, collections-based educational initiatives for K–12 students across DC. We offer immersive programming with an emphasis on object-based experiential learning and repeat visits. This programming is offered through partnerships with local non-profit organizations and schools such as the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative; Horizons Greater Washington; DC Public Schools; International High School at Langley Park; and other organizations. The Education Fellow will work closely with the Education Manager to help design, deliver, and evaluate active and engaging K–12 learning experiences based on our museum and garden collections. The Fellow will also develop educational resources for teachers, students, and families and conduct research into education and public programs in museum/historic garden settings and that can inform innovative programming at Dumbarton Oaks, will support outreach with the DC community, and increase equitable access to the arts and humanities. The Education Fellowship provides career development opportunities in fields such as museum education/outreach, visitor engagement, and curriculum development. A criminal background check and additional screenings may be required by DC Public Schools.

Preferred qualifications:

• Strong writing and editing skills
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to conceive and develop projects in new and innovative ways
• Strong judgment and confidence, ability to work independently in the field
• Prior experience with museum education and visitor engagement, tours, K–12 student teaching, community outreach, or similar desirable, but training and mentorship will be provided

The Library is excited to offer a Fellowship for a recent Harvard graduate to collaborate with staff experts to develop a curated guide to the history drawing on unparalleled documentation of the renowned gardens at Dumbarton Oaks.

The Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks represent one of the most well-preserved examples of the work of the pioneering designer Beatrix Farrand. The “Garden Archives” project will provide the fellow the opportunity to work with staff in Rare Books, Garden and Landscape Studies, the Gardens, and Communications to develop a website that makes available historical drawings, correspondence, and photographs that trace the development of the remarkable horticultural treasure at Dumbarton Oaks. The project will include partnering with staff experts to conceptualize an online portal to information about the Gardens, migrating legacy historical content, integrating current information about the Gardens, and writing new content for the portal. The project will also include editing or creating new descriptive information following established archival and image cataloging standards.

Requirements:

• BA from Harvard in a field relevant to gardens, design, or history

Preferred qualifications:

• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Excellent time-management, organizational, and research skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Interest in archival or special collections work

The fellow will be guided and trained on web curation by Library and Communications staff, and archival principles and practices by the Manager of ICFA as well as ICFA’s Archivist and Visual Materials Cataloger. The fellow will gain extensive knowledge of garden history through work with staff experts as well as principles and common standards of archival organization, description, and cataloging. The fellow will learn to work in two different special collections management systems and gain valuable experience in project management. This is a great opportunity for students contemplating a career in the field of libraries, special collections, or archives, as well as garden and design history.

The Plant Humanities Post-Baccalaureate Fellow will contribute to the Plant Humanities Lab: an innovative digital platform that explores and communicates how plants have shaped human cultures. The Plant Humanities Lab was developed with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in the context of the Dumbarton Oaks Plant Humanities Initiative that also encompasses a summer program, exhibitions, and publications. Read more about the project and its innovative applications for teaching and research here and here.

The Fellow will research, write, and create visualizations for essays on the cultural history of plants for the Plant Humanities Lab and additional articles to be published in JSTOR Daily, along with related social media content. Alongside the digital publications, the Fellow may assist with an edited volume through research and writing, organization and management of images, and support of other aspects of the editorial process as needed. Lastly, the Fellow may help with research and development of a digital tour/exhibition on plants across the Dumbarton Oaks museum and library collections.

This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates with interests in the digital humanities, special collections, and the environmental humanities. Working with an intergenerational team in a highly collaborative environment, the Fellow will develop and hone skills in the areas of project management, research, communications, and public outreach.

Preferred qualifications:

• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Excellent time-management, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently in the field.
• Experience with the digital or environmental humanities desirable but not necessary