Working History: Krista Cooke

Name: Krista Cooke

Employer: Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (which includes the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum)

Job Title: Assistant Curator, Archaeology and History

Location: National Capital Region (Gatineau/Ottawa)

Years in the Field: 12 (7 at the CMC)

What are the regular tasks for your job?

You will most often find me working with donors, curators and collections people to bring new objects into the collections. I also work with exhibition teams developing new exhibits (some of the projects I have recently been involved with include early 20th century settlement of Western Canada, the Fur Trade, the Underground Railroad and Norse exploration in northern Canada). When I am not working on acquisitions or exhibitions, I try to carve out some time to develop a few long term research projects. My special areas of interest are how women are represented in museum exhibitions, the private lives of Canadians, and women on the Homefront during the Second World War.

As for physical location, I am mostly in my office during the regular work week, but a few times a year I am able to travel to other cities for research, new acquisitions or conferences.

What is the best part of your job?

I think it is a tie… I absolutely love visiting with donors, getting to know their family stories and exploring their collections. I’ve been lucky enough to come across some wonderful people and absolute treasures. My other favourite part of the job is when I am able to tune out my email and jump into some research. Digging through the library stacks, wading into boxes of archival documents or walking the aisles of the Museum’s storage areas and letting my mind make new connections… Either way, I love the thrill of a new discovery!

What's the most challenging part of your job?

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is absolutely filled with talented, knowledgeable and highly educated people, all of whom are specialists in their areas. Conservators, graphic designers, researchers, project managers, database specialists, archivists, educators, collections managers and PR people all have very different viewpoints on what is a priority, which can be a challenge.

How did you get interested in history?

My family cottage was in an old mining community that was active in the 1870s. I grew up with the stories of the people who had lived and worked in the village and wondered about the blacksmith and his family whose house we occupied. I worked at the General Store as a teen and spent many hours telling Silver Islet stories to visitors and showing off the Store’s collection of historic photographs and objects. I guess that was my introduction to being a museum curator!

I think history and the preservation of historic objects is very important. I really enjoy watching donors becoming more and more proud of their accomplishments (or their family’s) when they see what value is placed on them by museums. I recently worked with a group of women who built airplanes during the Second World War. Most of them left their factory work in 1945 and never spent much time thinking about their wartime contribution afterwards (they were too busy with other employment or raising children). Sitting and listening to them talk, looking at their photographs, seeing their ID badges, tools and clothing, and hearing their pride in their work made their experiences come alive for me and for their families. Their stories, their objects and most importantly, the very fact of their wartime contribution will be preserved in the Museum and shared with future generations. We all have opportunities to learn from the stories of the past and I always feel privileged to help make it happen for others.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in a similar job?

I completed a Masters (Public History) from the University of Western Ontario and also am a graduate of the Association of Manitoba Museums’ Museum Certification Program. I would recommend the same type of training for those looking to work in a job similar to mine or in a smaller museum setting. Collections managers, registrars, cataloguers, and other collections staff often have specialized Museology diplomas or degrees. In smaller institutions, a BA or MA accompanied by hands-on training of some kind are the norm, while in many large Canadian institutions, curators are required to have a PhD in History.

The advice I give to all those who want to work in a museum is to volunteer! Get a foot in the door, develop some hands-on experience and make contacts in the institution where you hope to work. Volunteering often leads to short-term contracts, then to longer term projects and sometimes to full-time work. Another word to the wise: if you’re going to be working in the Ottawa area … don’t forget your French!

Last but not least, be willing to move to get the job you want. Jobs in Heritage can be hard to come by, but if you are willing to move to another part of the country you can often get a head start. I spent almost five years far from home, as the curator of a small museum in Northern Manitoba. I loved every minute of my time there, gained amazing museum experience, made lots of contacts and built on my experiences there to get the job I have now.