ANNOUNCEMENT
The History Department at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 
is seeking an accomplished Curator of California and American History.  
This is an excellent opportunity for an energetic and flexible person with 
a strong commitment to and experience with exhibition development, 
innovative approaches to public outreach and service, and research.

JOB DESCRIPTION
The curator will provide leadership to staff, volunteers, scholars, and 
the general public, according to professional standards and procedures.  
The curator is expected to make significant contributions to exhibitions 
and special projects; to enhance and promote the collection; and to seek 
and administer support through grants and other funding opportunities.

Major responsibilities include: 

• Active oversight of all functions involving California and 
American History three-dimensional artifact collections such as direction 
of the H-Cat (electronic catalogue of History Department collections); 
direct supervision of two collections managers, grant project staff, and 
varying numbers of volunteers, student workers, and interns; coordination 
of acquisitions; support of the collections through fund-raising, 
initiating and writing grant proposals, and managing grants; collaborating 
with the Institute for California and the West at the University of 
Southern California and other institutions in history programming 
initiatives.

• Prominent participation in History Department and museum-wide 
activities such as strategic planning; content development for exhibitions 
and special projects in collaboration with the Public Programs Branch; 
committee and other institutional service activities and initiatives.
 
• Production of research-based publications in peer-reviewed and 
popular journals, magazines, and books based on original research, using 
the collections wherever possible; presentation of research and 
programming results at scholarly conferences; submission of proposals and 
obtaining funding to support research; publicizing the collections and 
staff accomplishments and expertise; promotion of the California and 
American History artifact collections and programs through seminars, 
exhibitions, and response to inquiries from outside researchers, staff, 
docents, and volunteers.
   
QUALIFICATIONS
PhD in American History with specialization in California and the West, 
plus significant direct experience with historical materials in a museum, 
research library, historical society, or archives setting, preferably with 
supervisory or team leadership experience; proven record with fundraising 
and connections to the scholarly community; familiarity with electronic 
cataloguing and collections management tools; understanding of 
conservation standards and treatments.

THE COLLECTION
The California and American History artifact collections contain 
approximately 500,000 items from the professions and trades; architecture 
and interiors; music and entertainment; fine, decorative, and folk arts; 
politics and government; the military; costumes and textiles; land and air 
vehicles; still and motion photography; and electronics and other business 
and personal communication devices. According to scholars who have used 
the collection for research, and curators from other museums who similarly 
used the collection and have borrowed materials from it, as well as staff 
assessment, late nineteenth- and twentieth-century materials that relate 
to California’s phenomenal growth and prosperity are unparalleled.  Sample 
areas of the California and American History collections include:

• the largest, most diverse collection of materials from the 
Spanish, Mexican, and early U.S. statehood periods of California history, 
including rebozos, santos, mission vestments, saddles, branding irons, 
art, and jewelry
• possibly the world’s most complete collection of pre-1940 motion 
picture industry artifacts, consisting of costumes, props, cameras, models 
and miniatures, set and costume designs, lighting, editing equipment, and 
special effects devices
• over 5,000 pieces comprise one of the world’s most important 
collections of medals and fraternal orders
• an extensive collection of 2,000 dolls dating from the 1800s 
through the 1990s includes examples handmade by Los Angeles residents, 
advertising media, cultural souvenirs, educational tools, role models, 
collectibles, religious and ceremonial objects, and fashion samples in 
addition to playthings
• the costume and textile collection includes rugs, drapes, altar 
cloths, footwear, headgear, and quilts as well as clothing and military 
uniforms
• an arms collection consists of Spanish swords, machine guns, Bowie 
knives, World War I field artillery guns, pole-arms, Colt handguns, and 
Civil War equipment and accoutrements
• the Henze Collection of scientific instruments, dating from the 
sixteenth through nineteenth centuries, documents discovery and 
exploration of the New World
• a painting collection of nearly 500 items is comprised of: 188 
portraits, including some of the earliest painted in Los Angeles in the 
1840s; 85 paintings of California missions, the most famous being the 
Edwin Deakin series; over 80 landscapes, 10 of which are in the California 
Plein Air style; 22 religious images dating primarily from the period in 
which California was a Mexican territory; 81 historical genre paintings, 
perhaps the most significant group, including Alexander Harmer’s works of 
the 1880s, depicting romanticized scenes of rancho life; and over 100 
other paintings on a variety of subjects

HISTORY DEPARTMENT PURPOSE AND USE
The Museum's collections of historic records in the Seaver Center for 
Western History Research and artifacts in the California and American 
History collection constitute the largest holdings in U.S. History west of 
the Mississippi River.  The principal purpose for collecting and 
preserving these materials is for exhibition, for research, for loan to 
other institutions, and for publication.  Research associated with 
exhibitions and collections leads to critical and basic understanding of 
the past as well as revised interpretations of our regional and national 
heritage.  The History Collection is unique due to its diversity and wide 
representation of American history as well as for its focus on California 
and Southwest history.  No other collection in Los Angeles or in the West 
addresses national, regional, and local history; no other collection 
addresses the significance to the nation of California and the West; this 
is the only collection that interprets either U.S. or Los Angeles history 
comprehensively.

SALARY & POSITION LEVEL
The successful candidate for this position will be hired at the Curator or 
Associate Curator level, depending on qualifications.  Annual salary will 
be based on qualifications and experience.

TO APPLY
Review of applications begins as soon as they are received.   The position 
will be filled when the ideal candidate has been identified; the start 
date is July 1, 2006.  Letters of application, including a complete resume 
or C.V., and the names and contact information for three references, 
should be sent via U.S. mail to:

Janet Fireman                         
Curator of History                           
Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007

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