any opportunities as an aviation museum curator??

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:31 pm

i've been an aviation historian my entire adult life, have bought & sold vintage aviation memorabilia for 25 years,written 5 nationally published magazine articles pertaining to aviation history. i've come to a crossroad in my life as my family business probably won't survive another year. i'd love to have a new career affiliated with an aviation museum as a curator or docent. i've got the background, sources, resources etc. any leads or help steering in this direction is appreciated.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:40 pm

You mind if I ask what's the family business that won't survive?

Ryan

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11281

A career as a docent pays zero at most museums.

What exactly does a curator do? Isn't that normally a figurehead position? Not a manager of the museum business but someone that chooses paint schemes and sets up displays, right?

k5083 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:47 pm

The curator of a real museum is an important administrator who guides the museum's acquisitions, disposals, displays, restoration and preservation decisions, research, publications, etc. in accordance with historical conventions and the museum's mission. Such a person will normally have a Ph.D. or similar in history with specific training in museum science, and a record of original research published in peer-reviewed academic publications; we ain't talking Classic Wings or Osprey books here. Lay buffs, however much they may consider themselves historians, need not apply.

Almost no aviation "museums" are real museums and therefore almost none of them need a real curator. A few have pretentions in this direction. I recall Paul Allen's group advertising for a curator recently, seeking basically the qualifications above. Wixer Dan Hagedorn is curator at Seattle's Museum of Flight, having previously worked at NASM. There are probably other museums, most of them answerable to local governments etc., that probably have curator slots. CAF's affiliated static museum has one, recently the subject of some controversy, but I don't believe (an insider may correct me) that there is one for the CAF as such. Other than Allen's, I cannot think of any that maintain flyable aircraft that would have one, unless the guy who underwrites the collection chooses to call himself that or bestow the title on whoever he has running the place. That would be the figurehead type person that bdk mentioned.

So it's a thin market and to the extent there are real curatorial positions out there, you would most likely have to work your way up.

August

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:42 am

RyanShort1 wrote:

You mind if I ask what's the family business that won't survive?

Ryan

thanks to those who replied, i've seen no post notifications. i have 2 stores right next to each other in a tourist town on lake erie w/ roughly 4000 boat docks!!. both stores have roughly 10,000 square feet of sales floor. store 1 has upscale designer clothing, boating, camping, accessories etc. the other store is a fine jewelry store & gallery featuring 14 & 18 k gold jewelry, diamonds, authorized rolex watch dealer, nautical antiques, home accent etc. we've had a 50 year run, my brothers, all in their 60's, are thinking retirement, i'm going to be 50 & still have viable work years ahead. i can't run both stores myself. the economy, demographics, big box stores internet have taken their toll on us.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11281

Do you get decent foot traffic but no buyers? I've often wondered if people window shop and then go to the internet for the deals.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:02 pm

bdk wrote:

Do you get decent foot traffic but no buyers? I've often wondered if people window shop and then go to the internet for the deals.

it's a tourist / seasonal town. the town hops during the summer w/ boating, fishing, bar parties etc. november to may sucks. yes the internet has changed retail vastly, the demographics of the area as well. the town has a population of roughly 10,000 & the town is not luring in the younger crowds who don't like quaint, they want action & spend for it. i am also qualified in public speaking events / lectures, having fund -raising activities, public relations, etc. i am going to assemble a resume of my major aviation activities over the last 27 years. it will be more like a narrative, than a traditional resume format, because other than personal & business references, i worked for myself. the narrative won't be long but succinct.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:08 pm

That's sad. I guess times change. Would much rather see the small guys stay in business.

Ryan

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:58 pm

thanks ryan!! if the museum dureum (dream) doesn't pan out, i guess it's retail management for me again, but not as an owner. work for a chain again which i did for some years. my 3rd option is a manufacturers rep for any number of product lines i know very well. my other option is a military / nautical antique shop which takes money to start, which i obviously don't have.

Enemy Ace · **Posted:** Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:20 am

Tom obviously you would be willing to relocate??

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Mar 08, 2011 5:18 am

heck yes i'd relocate!!! the state of ohio has had the living crap beat out of it the last 8 years in regard to to the economy. infact. there has been such a migration of people leaving that they had to re-shuffle the seats in the house of representatives as so many people have bailed out due to a near 10% unemployment rate. the weather here?? need i say more!!! this is not pleasant hence my being up at 5 a.m., i lay awake every night looking at my eye lids thinking about re-inventing myself at 49 years old. the pressure is huge. my family biz will undoubtly go belly up within the next 2 years, if not before. :Hangman:

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any opportunities as an aviation museum curator??

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