In the fall of 2020, I entered McGill as a U0 student. By the end of my first semester, it had become clear to me that I wanted to study History. I took a variety of History courses in my first year, ranging from Early African History to Modern East Asian History. In the fall of my second year, I took Prof. Leonard Moore鈥檚 History of the Civil War and Reconstruction, and since then I have become increasingly interested in specializing in North American History.
Given my passion for this area of History, an internship with Les Jardins de M茅tis seemed like a perfect fit- almost too good to be true. I had never done hands-on work with primary documents before and I was excited, as well as a little nervous, to take on archival research tasks. Beyond learning how to navigate and utilize archives, my learning objectives going into the internship were to develop my independent research skills and gain confidence in my voice as an aspiring Historian.
Les Jardins de M茅tis is a historical garden in M茅tis, Quebec. The garden was founded by Elsie Reford and is now run by her great-grandson, Alexander Reford, and Les Amis Des Jardins de M茅tis. A Historian himself, Alexander started 鈥淭he Elsie Project鈥�, a project to document the life of Elsie Reford and her involvement with Montreal institutions like the Women鈥檚 Canadian Club, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the Montreal Maternity Hospital. As an intern hired to work specifically on this project, I utilized various archives to research Elsie鈥檚 philanthropic and political actions in early 20th Century Montreal. My responsibilities included sourcing and requesting archival material, transcribing primary source documents, and creating a presentation with all my findings.
One of the biggest and most immediate challenges I encountered had to do with the self-directed nature of the internship. Most of the research I had done up until that point as a student had been steered by course guidelines and recommended/assigned readings. While the organization had pointed me in the direction, they wanted me to go, it was up to me to find my own research material. Though the level of self-direction expected of me was my biggest challenge, it pushed me to develop relationships and skills that I otherwise would not have. I communicated directly with the archivists at the McCord Museum, the McGill Archives, the Osler Library, and the 香蕉视频 Health Centre, creating contacts that will undoubtedly benefit me as I continue my education in Montreal. Further, the fact that I was able to source my own material made my research feel that much more fulfilling.
Another challenge I faced, one Alexander had warned me was an inherent part of archival work, was the feeling of spending hours combing through boxes of documents and finding nothing. I found these days discouraging, and they made me question my capacity to contribute to the organization. The support I received from my internship organization as well as the AIO was key to my overcoming of this challenge. Knowing that my supervisor understood the nature of the work I was doing and participating in events where I could speak to other interns facing similar challenges regarding motivation and feelings of insecurity really helped me.
While some leads I followed went nowhere, others were extremely rewarding. The highlights of my internship were the satisfying moments of discovery. These moments, for example finding newspaper clippings quoting Elsie speaking on conscription during World War One in a box of files with no other mention of her name, were the moments that made those days of finding nothing feel worth it!
One of the biggest highlights of my internship was my last month on the job when I examined the Royal Victoria Hospital Women鈥檚 Pavilion Collection at the Osler Library. In this collection I found hundreds of handwritten pages of the Montreal Maternity鈥檚 Board of Management meeting minutes, offering incredible insight into Elsie鈥檚 involvement with the Hospital. Reading/transcribing those pages further developed my understanding of the value of primary source documents and archives, and that experience embodied my favourite thing about studying History, seeing the present in the past and the past in the present!
This internship has had such a beneficial impact on my university experience. It has taught me invaluable lessons about research and working in the field of History. I can now confidently navigate archival catalogues, handle original documents, and read challenging handwriting. Beyond developing my research skills, this internship has taught me how to piece together bits and pieces of the past to better understand the present and has further instilled in me my passion and appreciation for the study of History.
It would not have been possible for me to do an internship this summer without funding, and I am so grateful to the Undergraduate Experiential Learning Award and the donor who made it possible.
