The Filson Historical Society, formerly called the Filson Club, awarded me $1,200 to be the H. F. Boehl Summer Intern in 2019. My main tasks were manuscript and photograph cataloging. Below, you can read my write up for The Filson News Magazine, which summarizes my experiences.
Hello! My name is Olivia E. Raymond. I’m a master’s student in the public history program at the University of Louisville. My scholarship examines racialized mass media and its impact on racial violence. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to be the H. F. Boehl Summer Intern in 2019! I had a wonderful time working with Jana Meyer, Associate Curator of Collections, and Heather Potter, Curator of Photographs and Prints. For my internship, I cataloged various manuscript and photograph collections.
The collections included a range of material from the Ohio River Valley’s Shaker communities, The Great 1937 Flood, and the Civil War. My favorite project was creating an online exhibit about Mammoth Life & Accident Insurance, Co. using Omeka, an open-source publishing platform. Mammoth Life was one of the largest Black-owned companies in Kentucky’s history. The field of digital humanities has always fascinated me. So, the Omeka project was particularly insightful.
Once again, I would like to thank the warm and welcoming scholarly community at the Filson Historical Society! This internship was one of the highlights of my summer and confirmed my desire to become a public historian.