Paid Collections Cataloging Intern — Photography Archive

National-Building-Museum; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 4,959,000 - 6,061,000; Part time

Job summary

The National Building Museum is offering a graduate-level intern position to help organize and inventory 180,000 transparencies in the Stewart Photography Collection. The role includes training in cataloging, data standards, digitization, and rehousing, with data entry in Excel and project-level inventory work.

Internship requires 2–3 onsite days weekly (Mon–Thu, 9:00am–4:00pm), starting the week of January 18, 2027, with orientation.

Qualifications

• Graduate student enrolled in or recently graduated from a graduate program.
• Experience with museum collections preferred.
• Knowledge of archival and collections management techniques.
• Self-starter who can work independently, creative and a problem solver.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Undergo training in cataloging, data standards, object handling, digitization, and rehousing.
• Organize and inventory transparencies from the Stewart Collection at the project level.
• Enter data into Excel spreadsheets for future cataloging at the item level.
• Rehouse materials in archival boxes and folders as needed.
• Research content and location of photographs as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Museum collections

Archival techniques

Data entry

Team player

Problem solving

Self-starter

Education

Graduate program

Job description

Description

We are a private non-profit institution that transforms understanding of the history and impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and design.

The National Building Museum educates, entertains, and engages people about the built environment and challenges them to advocate for a sustainable and equitable future.

Position Description

The National Building Museum is currently seeking a graduate-level intern to help organize and inventory transparencies in the George Stewart Photography Collection. The Stewart Photography Collection consists of 180,000 transparencies related to the company’s work as construction progress photographers from 1950 through 2005. The Museum received 130,000 transparencies in 2001 and promptly organized and inventoried the first 100,000 transparencies from 1,600 projects. An additional 60,000 transparencies were donated in 2026, completing the collection. Now the second half of the collection needs to be organized and inventoried at the project level to ensure comprehensive documentation across the entire collection. Alongside the Director of Collections, the inventory intern will continue organizing and inventorying the collection as part of the Museum’s multi-year strategic plan for documenting projects found in our permanent collection.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Undergo training in cataloging and data standards, object handling, digitization, and rehousing.
• Organize and Inventory transparencies from the Stewart Collection at the project level.
• Enter data into Excel spreadsheets for future cataloging at the item level.
• Rehouse materials in archival boxes and folders, as needed.
• Research the content and location of photographs, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Candidates must be enrolled in or recently graduated from a graduate program.
• Previous experience with museum collections preferred.
• Knowledge of proper archival and collections management techniques • Self-starter that can work independently.
• Be creative and a problem solver.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.

Interns must be available to work onsite 2-3 days each week totaling 200 hours over the internship term. Hours of position are very flexible but must occur Monday – Thursday; between 9:00am and 4:00pm. The position will start the week of January 18, 2027, with a mandatory orientation day that first week, based on intern cohort and staff availability.

Interns will be paid $20 per hour for their work on this project including orientation and any required training. We will also work with your graduate program to ensure you receive academic credit for your work, if possible. Application closes October 18, 2026.