I interned at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum as part of the Curatorial department. The museum is located in Simi Valley, California, a location that lends itself to spacious gallery spaces that I helped to maintain and also is in the heart of wildfire territory, a lesson I learned on day 2 as all staff were trained on basic wildfire prevention. My daily work involved inventorying objects in the collection, researching photos with no background information, and working with the registrar and curator to better understand the various levels of cooperation necessary to keep such a large institution running. My favorite “chore” was cleaning the Oval Office display that has pieces of the real Oval Office floor from President Reagan’s time in office, along with a multitude of other artifacts. I had to wear medical booties and dust with a goatshair paintbrush, but it was fascinating to see all of the intricate details that go into museum displays.
Kimberly Selinske (Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 2018)
