Archival Internship - Israelite House of David’s Archives & Collections (12/19/25)

Posted on 11/22/25

Founded as a religious commune in 1903, the Israelite House of David was home to over 1,000 members at its peak in the 1920s. The community supported itself with numerous agricultural and industrial enterprises, as well as an amusement park, an exhibition baseball team, and professional touring bands. The colony played a pivotal role in the development of Southwest Michigan. Today, the colony operates effectively as a historic trust, with the Archives & Collections established in 2021 to preserve the history of the House of David.

Find more information at https://www.israelitehouseofdavid.org/.

The Israelite House of David Archives & Collections is accepting applications for one or two Archival Interns. The primary duty of the intern(s) will be to support the organization's efforts to organize and digitize its photographic collections.

Project Details:

The Archives & Collections has been working to organize and digitize its voluminous photographic collection. This process is critical to understanding the location of buildings at both the colony proper and the HoD’s amusement park, and for identifying members. While the primary project of this internship will be photograph digitization, the chosen intern(s) will also be expected to aid in other archival work such as organizing secondary research material related to the Baseball Collection or organizing archival material from the Local History Collection. This project will entail: - Sorting, organizing, and storing printed archival materials - Digitizing and cataloging of collections using the collection software, CatalogIt - Creation of a Finding Aid - Writing social media posts related to project work

Internship Details:

• 10 week long unpaid internship
• 24 hours a week, flexible schedule
• Preferred start date of February 2, flexible
• A $500 stipend will be given to intern(s) upon completion of internship
• If you’re a student, make sure to consult your Department to determine whether you can complete this internship for course credit

Qualifications

• Open to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates in/from Museum Studies, Public History, History, Art History, Archival Science, Library and Information Science, or related program

Preferred Skills and Proficiencies

• One year working or volunteering in a cultural institution
• Experience digitizing, using collection software, preferably CatalogIt or similar system
• Knowledge of the archival field

To apply, send the completed application (which can be found here) and resume to our Collections Manager, Ms. Olivia Beebe, at oliviab@israelitehouseofdavid.org

Deadline: December 19, 2025

Interviews will be conducted in early January

Accessibility Note:

Shiloh and Diamond House, two historic mansions where the Archives & Collections are housed, are only accessible through multiple staircases. Neither building has an elevator. There are also multiple cats on the premises, both in the buildings and on the grounds. Please note on your application if either of these would be an issue, so accommodations can be discussed.