Job Opening Title:
Exhibition Objects Specialist; (3-Year full-time temporary position)
Name of Employer:
Atlanta History Center
Job Site Location (City, State) :
Atlanta, GA
Application Deadline:
October 15, 2023
Minimum Degree Requirement:
Masters
Years of experience required:
3
Salary Range:
$48,750
Job Opening URL:
https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1947207
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Include instructions for how to apply.:
Job Type
Full-time, Temporary
Description
The Atlanta History Center is looking for an initiative-taking and results-oriented professional to fill the full-time, three-year temporary role within the organization of Exhibition Objects Specialist. The Exhibition Object Specialist will be responsible for compiling and organizing historical data, research, and objects for a new exhibition on the causes, consequences, conduct, and historical relevance of the Civil War Era.
Project Overview:
This new signature exhibition will create a new national model for interpreting the Civil War Era and making it relevant to 21st-century audiences. The exhibition will focus on (but is not limited to) events from the 1840s through the 1880s. It will entail all new casework, design, and digital components as well as an array of newly acquired objects that speak to younger and more diverse audiences.
The exhibition will include honest, constructive, and evidence-based discussions of topics such as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, changing definitions of race and freedom, the Constitution and political struggles over slavery, American economic, territorial, and technological expansion, conduct and campaigns of the Civil War (especially the Atlanta campaign), the destruction of slavery, the nation’s “second founding” (“Reconstruction”), the impacts of the war in global context, post-war narratives or myths, and the long reach of the Civil War Era into today’s world. This content will be delivered primarily in the 9,200-square-foot DuBose Gallery.
The exhibition will emphasize one of the largest and finest Civil War collections in the world, including approximately 500 long arms, 700 artillery projectiles, as well as swords, accoutrements, flags, and two major collections of excavated artifacts. This content will be delivered primarily in the 6,200-square-foot Goldstein Gallery. Objects will be arranged and interpreted according to type or use, manufacturer, technology, and significance. It will engage visitors with quick, engaging, and easily understood explanations; it will also function as a sort of library for the study and comparison of artifacts, especially for collectors and researchers.
Requirements
The incumbent will bear primary managerial responsibility for preparing objects for long-term exhibition, especially in the Goldstein Gallery. The incumbent must be able to work independently yet constructively in a team environment, establishing clear lines of communication with staff, designers, advisors, and others as needed. The successful incumbent will be able to imagine creative ways of engaging audiences by connecting military objects to broader historical events, technological developments, and personal experiences.
In addition, the incumbent is expected to:
Develop a working knowledge of Re: Discovery (AHC’s collections management software), and ReQlogic (AHC’s accounting and reporting software).
Compile object lists and suggest the most appropriate arrangements by type, technology, size, storyline, and/ or physical condition.
Examine all objects on these lists and check the accuracy of descriptive information in Re:Discovery. Fill in the information as necessary using reference sources.
Work with collections staff to assess priorities for object conservation (especially flags and leather items). Assist in transporting or shipping to professional conservators.
Provide basic in-house cleaning as necessary and practical (especially firearms and swords).
Work with exhibition designers and fabricators to design flexible mounting systems allowing for objects to be secure yet accessible for re-arrangement or examination (primarily for Goldstein Gallery).
Work with professional photographers to produce publication-quality photographs of all exhibition objects. Approximately 65% of the Civil War Era collection has not been photographed to this standard. A selected number of objects will be documented with 360-degree photography.
Write label copy and/ or scripts as required. Physical labeling, though essential, will be minimized in favor of digital solutions whenever possible.
Write research summaries on selected objects as directed.
Keep and organize copies and/ or notes of all primary and secondary sources consulted.
Make public presentations as required.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; master’s degree preferred.
Minimum three (3) years experience in public history, reenacting, collecting, research, or similar experience.
Demonstrated effective oral/speaking skills, research, and writing skills.
Familiarity with WORD, EXCEL, and online research tools, including Fold3, Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.com.
Working knowledge of Civil War artifacts and reference books. Familiarity with Civil War collectors, reenactors, and similar groups preferred.
Background Check Requirements:
Satisfactory criminal background check.
Satisfactory financial background check.
Excellent Benefits, including Medical, Dental, and Vision, Employer-provided Life Insurance (1x salary), Employer-provided Long Term Disability, Voluntary Life Insurance, and 403(b) Retirement Plans. Full annual Paid Time Off benefits awarded following 60 days of employment.
Application Deadline: October 15, 2023
Submit with Application:
Cover letter summarizing interest and qualifications.
Current resume, including list of previous related projects, and memberships in relevant organizations.
A sample of previous professional writing relevant to this position.
At least three professional references.
Salary Description
$25 per hour
Archives Gig 