09 Jun Acclimating to a Saturation of History

I’m well into my second week of the internship and good lordy, have I seen a lot. My very first day was an onslaught of new. We visited the Harper’s Ferry Center where conservation and preservation is done on NPS objects (artifacts, reproductions, antiques, etc.) My body was not used to waking up early, so I was exhausted, but the newness was overwhelming me as well. We were there to view old NPS uniforms for an exhibit on the history of NPS uniforms that is meant to accompany a fashion show being done by Centennial coordinators. It was a comfort being in the storage facility, it reminded me of the archive center I worked at in undergrad with the metal cases and the cold temperature. When we got finished we drove through Historic Harper’s Ferry and it was absolutely beautiful.

The whole historic area is a national park. But not only that, it is on the side of a mountain and right by the river. It is the definition of picturesque. Since GW Parkway is 25 miles long with several sites, I am still doing my complete orientation. I have gotten to know Arlington House pretty well since the offices are near there, but I have much more to go. I have to walk from the Metro exit to the house, which is on the top of a hill, which is exhausting, especially in the heat, but it doesn’t bother me too much. Walking in the cemetery is peaceful and the view (the featured image) is spectacular. I have yet to grow tired of it. On the 7th we did a tour of some of the sites on the southern portion of the Parkway. It was nice to see so much nature at once.                                   We have also been packing up chosen artifacts from the Arlington House to be taken to be conserved before the rest of the house gets packed up for the renovation. My packing abilities are getting better with each object I do, and today I did quite a few of them. I’ll be a pro by the end of the summer, considering we have to pack the entire house! Tomorrow, 6/9, I go to a meeting at Manassas National Park with many regional staff, so it will be fun to meet them all and to see the historical battle site. That’s another thing. The history is so rich, I love it and I love how many people come to learn. Last week I was taking pictures of the rooms of the second floor of the house and a woman was looking into the room I was photographing and she was so excited to just experience being in a house where history occurred. And I get that. Because so often that is me and that experience is why I decided to pursue museum studies. It was a beautiful thing to see. That’s all for now. I’ve been posting some cool pictures on my instagram, @aprlshower, so check them out!