by Brandon Dieckmann  ::

I opened a dusty old cardboard box and pulled out an exquisitely Swiss-crafted Bolex analog movie camera, manufactured about 7 or 8 decades ago. I loaded the reel spring tight and let the mechanical motor hum. I wondered about how the different ways engineering, design, and cultural values synthesized into different physical artifacts, taking note at the differences between a Fujica Super-8 camera from Tokyo, a Kodak-Eastman made in Rochester, or an AGFA crafted in Munich. That was just a Wednesday. My time at the Washington County Museum would lead me to tasks varying from woodworking and painting in order to get ready for a steampunk art exhibit, to combing through the personal story of an immigrant brought to the United States through the Bracero program. There was never a dull day at the museum. My internship gave me a fresh perspective on how history stays alive.

Most recently I have been working in preparation for an agricultural exhibit detailing the history of farming throughout the county. It’s a familiar theme, but what breathed new life into the exhibit is the museum’s emphasis on bringing to the fore voices that are not as commonly heard in the field of agriculture. Not the tired old tales of settlers hurling themselves axe-first into the Willamette valley, but stories of Braceros, Japanese-Americans affected by incarceration camps, and European immigrants escaping to the Pacific Northwest’s valleys to avoid conscription. I barely scratched a dent into understanding the indigenous agricultural techniques of the local Atfalati and Kalapuya tribes, but grew a solid respect for their ingenious methods of land management. There is a vibrancy in the diversity of voices that the museum is attempting to represent in their new exhibit, as I became more familiar with those voices I grew a deeper appreciation for them.

In short, at the Washington County Museum, I learned of a new depth and wealth of history as well as how many different ways there are to actually do history. It is intensely satisfying to find ways to filter that history to the public, which I intend to continue doing.