The Smithsonian Division of Medicine and Science acquires, preserves, studies, and interprets the material culture of the biological, medical, and physical sciences. Connected to this particular project, the Staff of the division collects, researches, and disseminates information in the areas of the history of medicine and health, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, disability and public health among other scientific areas.

The Mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society is to inspire people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio.  The core values of the Western Reserve Historical Society rest upon four common words: integrity, stewardship, connectivity and innovation, with particular meaning for an institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the people and communities of Northeast Ohio.

My role is the explorer: uncovering the hidden history and discovering the connections among local and national women who played a role in innovation, practice, delivery and policy-making in health care in Cleveland and Northeast OH.  The goal is to collect and catalog resources and present the history that lies within the archives of the Division of Science and Medicine and the archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

My role is interpreter:  identifying and highlighting intersections between the collections of the Smithsonian and its associate institution, the Western Reserve Historical Society.  Utilizing digital tools, I hope to visualize and exhibit how local women in the past influenced and were influenced by nationally prominent leaders, innovations and ideas. 

This internship supports the missions of the institutions which are aligned in the purpose acquiring, preserving, interpreting and sharing their material cultures to audiences.  This project will demonstrate how women’s experience and contributions in health care have local and national influence, utilizing the materials and archives of the institutions.   The development of products including: summary history, topic catalogue and digital project piece, will utilize and promote the collections of the institutions.  This history will inspire others to further ‘seek connections in the collections’ and gain a better understanding of hidden history.

I am excited to collect and identify this hidden history; create an accessible resource that can be shared by the institutions; and most excited to use digital tools and visualization to transform and share our understanding of women’s role in health care history.  There is a danger that perhaps there is no connection, but that is interesting also!  The mission is to explore, record, discover and share!  Seems totally AWESOME to me!