This summer, the Webb Deane Stevens Museum is thrilled to host two exceptional interns from Trinity College, Ava Jaslowich and Sekai Imbayarwo Chikosi, as part of the Trinity College Public Humanities Collaborative. Ava and Sekai will work closely with project mentors TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Museum’s Director of Preservation & Collections, and Jennifer Regan-Lefebvre, Professor of History and Trinity College Department of History Chair, on a research and digitization project entitled Preserving Connecticut’s Revolutionary Heritage: Provenance Research, Cataloging, and Digitization of the historic Webb Deane Stevens Museum Collection.
WDS Museum collection objects tell fascinating tales of the military, political, economic, and social histories of Revolution through the early Republic, amassed over more than a century by members of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Connecticut (NSCDA-CT) and their networks. While many of our collection items are used to interpret our historic homes to help visitors get a tangible window into the past, many are nestled in storage, out of sight, and in some cases, out of memory. Ava and Sekai’s work to research, catalog, and digitize the Museum’s entire collection of objects, furnishings, and ephemera is an important milestone that will allow the Museum to more easefully update our interpretive tours and spaces, offer our objects on loan to other institutions, and maintain more accurate records on the material culture that shaped our nation.
This comprehensive initiative involves photographing, digitizing, and cataloging objects across the museum’s holdings, while cross-referencing each item with existing accession records. By conducting in-depth research on key artifacts to refine their provenance and developing new methodologies for interpreting objects within their original historical contexts, the initiative seeks to not only preserve but also reinterpret the collection through a more accurate and insightful lens. Ava and Sekai each bring a unique academic perspective and personal passion to the project.
Ava is a rising junior at Trinity College, majoring in American Studies and English. Originally from Holden, Massachusetts, she’s passionate about community service and is exploring her growing interest in archival work through this internship. “In humanities work, it’s hard to find your niche,” she shared, “but museum work gives you a real, hands-on connection to history.”
Rising junior Sekai, originally from Zimbabwe, is pursuing a double major in History and Applied Mathematics. With prior experience cataloging in the college’s special collections library, she’s eager to bring her detail-oriented mindset to the museum world. “It’s been interesting to see how my math background helps me recognize patterns in the collection,” she said.
Together with TR Hamilton, Director of Preservation & Collections at WDS, Ava and Sekai have been working to digitize and catalog objects starting in the Isaac Stevens House. Their focus has been the kitchen and upstairs children museum (uncommon for a historic house museum), where they sorted through every single item in the space to catalog and digitize each collection object. The list was long and varied, including toys, doll clothes, quotidian kitchen utensils, and household items—each with its own accession number and backstory. “You start to see the life behind the object,” Sekai said. “It’s not just something for display—it meant something to someone.”
For Ava, the objects themselves are a draw. “I love comparing 19th-century toys to modern ones,” she said. “And, there’s a cultural richness in even the smallest details, like a candle snuffer with a built-in wick catcher.”
The interns are also engaging with more complex aspects of the collection, including objects that reflect difficult histories. Sekai described encountering a toy with racial caricatures: “It was one of the first moments that really struck a chord, but it was also a learning opportunity.” Sekai noted that while she was initially shocked, she values how an object gives us a window into history, depicting certain societal roles and beliefs of the time that is instructive for understanding our past, and our present.
While much of their time has been spent cataloging and digitizing, both interns are eager to explore more of the museum’s inner workings. From upholstery demonstrations to artifact research, they’re gaining a comprehensive view of what it takes to preserve and present history.
As the summer continues, Ava and Sekai are excited to dive deeper—possibly into the Deane House collection—and envision creative ways to connect the past with today’s audiences. Sekai imagines an interactive exhibit where visitors guess the use of unfamiliar kitchen tools. Ava is drawn to exploring how toys and clothing reflect cultural values across time.
Through their careful work, Ava and Sekai are helping preserve not only the artifacts in the Stevens House, but the stories and people behind them. By digitizing the collection—transferring fragile, handwritten records into searchable digital formats—they’re ensuring that these objects and their histories are protected against time, loss, and damage. This work lays a vital foundation for future research, exhibitions, and public access – for both the Museum and our colleagues across academic, historic, and cultural institutions. Stay tuned for more updates on their journey into the world of museum preservation.
