Author: Harper Morrison
I have a confession: before my internship, I did not know who Jonas Salk was. Upon polling my peers, I discovered that I was not alone. Yet Salk’s creation of the polio vaccine was one of the most important medical discoveries of the 20th century. He was a worldwide celebrity whose impact cannot be overstated. The fact that he invented the vaccine here, at the University of Pittsburgh, is even more reason for students to celebrate him. The Jonas Salk Legacy Collection is working to make this a reality.
Located in the Public Health Building, the Jonas Salk Legacy Collection is an immersive exhibit exploring the creation of the polio vaccine. Here, the importance of Salk’s work is highlighted by the display of his many awards and lab equipment, providing a visual representation of the vaccine creation process. For my internship at the collection, I have been helping to design new displays and further fundraising efforts. My goal with both projects is to share Salk’s legacy with a new generation of students.
When beginning my internship, I immediately told Dana, my mentor and Distinctive Collections Manager, about my interest in museum advancement. Because of her, I received the chance to participate in fundraising work. I helped to brainstorm new ideas on how to gain funding and ways to promote the exhibit. This included grant research, web design, strategic planning, and lots of outreach. This opportunity has allowed me to dive into the world of nonprofit advancement which I have found to be immensely fulfilling.
My other primary task has been reconstructing four of the exhibit’s display cases. While interesting to look at, their first iteration gave only limited context to the items inside. My idea instead has been to construct a chronological exhibit where each case is a different theme surrounding Salk’s work on the vaccine. These four displays are tentatively titled: The Polio Epidemic, The Vaccine Creation Process, Trials and Testing, and Salk’s Legacy Today. Each case will tell a different part of the story surrounding Salk’s work and aims to be informative yet visually appealing. This work will continue beyond the end of my internship, but Dana and I have been able to digitally map its new layout. This has allowed us to effectively plan where everything will go. We are also in the process of printing photos, writing explanatory plaques, and moving items into the displays. It is important to us that each case has enough photos and display cards to provide information on what viewers are looking at.
I could go on about our display and all of the new objects being incorporated into it. However, I will leave it to the reader to visit for themselves. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I have been given to learn about Jonas Salk and his incredible achievements. I am also proud of the work I have done in the advancement sphere to continue the display of these achievements. Most importantly, I am proud of my role in bringing Salk’s legacy to a new generation of students.