Heritage Partnerships at Oxford University supports research into histories of wide-ranging heritage sites and collections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through a range of academic collaborations and knowledge exchange activities.
This micro-internship centres on the activities of the firm, Seely and Paget, which played an important role in British architecture from the 1920s to the 1960s. You will be working with the Historians Team at English Heritage to create a database of the firm’s projects to support a programme of activities to mark the centenary of the firm in 2026. Seely and Paget were noted as conservation architects, and one of their most important projects was at Eltham Palace, an English Heritage site, which they transformed into a luxury residence for Stephen and Virginia Courtauld in 1936. This micro-internship will offer you insights into both public history and the heritage sector through the lens of archival research as you contribute to a major collaborative initiative.
What you will do:
Working remotely as part of a small team, you will undertake desk-based research using a range of online archives and digitised resources to compile a comprehensive database of projects completed by Seely and Paget. This will build on an existing partial listing of the firm’s works produced by the project team, and augmented by previous interns.
You will submit your research findings in the form of site record forms and an associated database which will be shared with the Oxford Heritage Partnerships Team and the Historians team at English Heritage. Interns will have the opportunity to meet regularly with the supervisory team, other English Heritage staff, and fellow interns via Microsoft Teams video calls.
This internship will largely be desk-based, utilising online collections, although some visits to the Bodleian Library may be included. There will also be an opportunity for successful interns to visit Harcourt Hill Campus (formerly Westminster College), which was designed by Seely & Paget, with the project team. Travel and subsistence costs will be covered by the host.
What you will gain:
By the end of the internship you will have gained experience of research for a public-facing organisation, an insight into how research informs heritage projects, and experience of using historical resources. You will also have the opportunity to compile a research report and discuss your findings at the end of the week with members of the Oxford partnership team and English Heritage staff.
Find out more about the English Heritage here. Find out more about Heritage Partnerships at Oxford here.
Contact: Dr Rachel Delman, Heritage Partnerships Coordinator, Oxford (rachel.delman@humanities.ox.ac.uk)
Find out more and apply here
