The internship has given us the opportunity to participate in a variety of roles during our time here. We explored different archive records, including the Burnett autobiographies, which provided valuable insight into the lives of British people during the 19th and 20th centuries. These autobiographies reflected a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, highlighting themes such as poverty, life during the World Wars, home life, and employment in areas like farming, child labour, domestic service, and military service.
We also assisted with reorganising materials in the archive room, including books, catalogues, and magazines. As part of this, we catalogued items such as Ladies’ Home Journals, Illustrated London News, and Country Life magazines onto CALM. This allowed us to explore how fashion, leisure activities, food, and technology have evolved over time.
In addition, we helped sort and document various archival materials using Excel, including on platforms like Greenglass. We transcribed fragile or damaged books into Word documents to improve their accessibility. Throughout the experience, we had the opportunity to build connections with the wider archival team and develop new friendships.
Overall, the internship allowed us to gain hands-on experience and develop valuable transferrable skills such as attention to detail, care in handling delicate materials, organisational abilities, and digital proficiency.
Aman and Victoria