Editor’s note: This is the second entry in a series on how historians—especially contingent historians and those employed outside of tenure-track academia—do the work of history. If you know of someone we should interview, or would like to be interviewed yourself, send an email with the subject line HOW I DO HISTORY to pitches@contingentmag.org.
Nick Hurley is Curator of the New England Air Museum. Here’s how he does history.
What’s your current position?
I am Curator of the New England Air Museum (NEAM), though like many other museum professionals I wear a few unofficial “hats” as well—Registrar, Collections Manager, Archivist, and so on.1 I began my time at the museum as an intern during summer 2015, became part-time Curator in early 2016, and came on board full-time in January 2019.
Tell our readers what a typical day of work is like for you. For starters, is there a typical day for you?
There definitely isn’t, and it’s one of the things I love most about my job. One morning I’ll be out on the flight line inspecting our newest donated aircraft (flown into the adjacent airport). Another day I’ll spend most of the day offsite meeting with a vendor. Tomorrow I may find myself working on a grant proposal, editing text for exhibit signage, or troubleshooting our fire alarm system, since I am also on the Facilities Management team. There’s certainly something to be said for working with a small museum staff—your life will never be dull again.
There are certain duties that do remain constant from day to day, week to week. For example, Mondays I typically work on exhibit tasks, Tuesdays are when I try to “stack” my meetings, Fridays I answer reference inquiries, etc.
Tell us why we should visit the New England Air Museum. What should we check out and why?
In the past year we’ve opened two new exhibits (definitely check out 8 Minutes: Bradley Air Museum and the 1979 Windsor Locks Tornado in the main lobby) and reconfigured the aircraft in one of our three main hangars to create a more cohesive display.2 Going forward, you’re going to see a more deliberate rotation of aircraft on and off the display floor, so that more of the collection can be made available to the public. A lot of the tried and true family activities like our Easter egg hunt and Breakfast with Santa are still going strong, and we’re trying a few new events this year intended to reach a different audience (can you say brewfest?) Behind the scenes, a lot of great work is being done in terms of collections management and facilities management, and while these efforts aren’t necessarily visible to the public, it’s going to enable us to provide an even better visitor experience in the long run.
Have you always been interested in history? If so, what’s your earliest memory about a historical topic or event?
My father’s family is from Germany and growing up I spent a lot of time over there with my grandmother and great-grandmother. As a kid, I’d learn about the Second World War in school and then hear firsthand accounts from my family members who had actually “been there” and lived through it. I don’t think it registered with me then, but that was my first exposure to the idea that everyone has a story, and it made me feel like I had a personal connection to events much bigger than my own life.
Where did you go to college and graduate school? Was history your main area of study?
Go Huskies! I earned both my B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of Connecticut, working alongside some incredible students and faculty members. After graduate school, UConn’s Archives and Special Collections (ASC) hired me. I spent three years at ASC working as a staff member.3 Leaving campus after almost ten years there was definitely bittersweet, and I still get nostalgic whenever I visit (which is pretty often since I live just down the road in Willington).
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about what historians do and how they work?
I think a lot of people view our profession as very inward-facing; we spend our time locked away in libraries and archives, reading and writing, emerging only to publish or give ten-second sound bites on the History Channel. This just isn’t the case, and museums are a good example; yes, we exist to acquire and preserve historically relevant material, but we hold that material for the benefit and education of the public. It’s not the museum’s collection, it’s everyone’s collection. Just as important as the need to preserve, then, is our mandate to educate and inspire, and we do that by making the museum a place people want to visit.
What were your research interests in graduate school?
I focused primarily on issues of state and society in twentieth-century western Europe, especially during grad school. My first-ever conference paper was a study of commemorative activities in Britain following the First World War, which led to another piece on Great War memory as it relates to issues of death and the body. Interestingly enough, the last paper I wrote in graduate school was on an obscure U.S. consul stationed in London during the War of 1812, so completely unrelated to my concentration, but it ended up being the piece of work I’m most proud of. It was just such a cool subject, with a wealth of historical evidence to draw from, and a nice break from my usual studies.
How well did your particular history training prepare you for your position at the New England Air Museum?
I knew very little about aircraft and aviation history before starting this job. What I did have, however, was a firm grasp on the fundamentals of historical research thanks to my work in graduate school, as well as an understanding of collections management, access, and care thanks to my time with UConn Archives & Special Collections. Put simply, I knew how to read, write, and speak effectively, and I could draw on my own experiences from both sides of the reference desk to help figure out what visitors (to both our research library and the museum itself) expected and wanted to see.
What is something people don’t understand or appreciate about working in a museum?
One of the biggest aspects of my job is collections management—our 113 aircraft, along with thousands of other smaller artifacts, are the reason we exist. As an institution, it’s on us to ensure our collection is properly preserved and utilized. For that reason, we have to be extremely selective about what new material we choose to accept, and only bring in new items we know that we can properly care for and use in some capacity. That means I have to say “no” quite a bit, and for some people, especially those with emotional attachments to the items they are offering, that comes off as insulting. It isn’t meant to be. In fact, I always try to make it clear to the potential donor that our rejection is out of respect for them and their item(s), since the last thing I want to do is accept something I know isn’t a good fit for us—either because I know it’ll never go on display, or we don’t have the space/resources to properly take care of it.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of working at the New England Air Museum?
I smile every time I walk by a visitor who is truly engaging with one of the exhibits I helped design. There’s a feeling of validation that after months of hard work and research, something I played a part in creating is serving its purpose and reaching its intended audience. Exhibit design to me is one of the toughest parts of our profession—you have limited funds and resources with which to create something that’s accessible but not oversimplified, informative but not too wordy, timely, and—in the case of permanent installations—something that will continue to draw an audience week after week for years to come. So when you can do all of that successfully, it’s a good feeling.
Some of the aircraft on display at NEAM.
What advice would you share with someone wanting to work in a museum?
I think a lot of people answer this question with “be prepared to work hard,” but I find that kind of a cliché. I think no matter what you decide to do with your life, you should always expect to have to work hard, especially when you’re first starting out. A lot of the challenges we face in the museum profession—smaller budgets, skeleton staffs, and trying to leverage new technology to our benefit, for example—are shared in one way or another by most other career fields. So for me it’s kind of a given that you’ll need to work hard, because frankly you should do that in any career you choose. My advice to others amounts to this:
1. Have a plan. It’ll change, probably often, but it’s still a plan. Knowing what you want to do, where you’d like to work, and what you need to do in order to get there is going to help you decide whether or not that internship is worth it, whether you should go back to school or not, and so on.
2. Get your foot in the door somewhere as early as possible. There’s no shortage of museums and historical societies that need help in some way or another. You may not get a paycheck right away, but if you can work a regular job somewhere else and get some volunteer work in on the side, you can start learning the trade, networking, and building your resume early on.
3. Read. A lot. Start with the best practices and standards for museums (aka learn the basics of your craft), and then keep an eye out for new books and publications on topics that matter to you. The field is constantly changing and moving forward and keeping yourself in the know will make you a more attractive candidate when applying for jobs.
What is the best advice you can give people for visiting your, or any other museum?
Give us feedback! Good or bad. I have thick skin, and I know for a fact there’s plenty we can improve on here. Most museums face staffing issues similar to ours, so we can’t be everywhere at once. I for one love that I have a network of volunteers, fellow staff, and visitors that help me identify issues and areas of improvement.
If you weren’t a scholar, what kind of work do you think you’d be doing?
As I’ve grown as a scholar and museum professional, I’ve also been continuing my service in the Army National Guard. My career as a military officer has been equal parts challenging and rewarding, and I’m particularly grateful for having had numerous opportunities to mentor and instruct junior officers and Soldiers, both formally and informally. If I weren’t in my current position, I would love to find myself as an ROTC or OCS (Officer Candidate School) instructor, helping to produce the next generation of Army leaders.
Many thanks to Nick for participating in our “How I Do History” series. You can follow him on Twitter at @hurley_nick. If you know of someone we should interview, or would like to be interviewed yourself, send an email to pitches@contingentmag.org with the subject line HOW I DO HISTORY.
- NEAM is located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It aims to tell the story behind aviation, the people who made flight possible, and the ways aviation changed human life.
- A new exhibit documenting the 1979 tornado that hit the museum (then called the Bradley Air Museum) and its aftermath.
- UConn’s Archives and Special Collection is a great repository for archival collections related to Connecticut history, local businesses especially railroads, and children’s literature.