Volunteer Profile: Christina Anderson

---John Pentangelo, Curator/Registrar

This week the museum bids farewell to another curatorial volunteer. Christina Anderson joined the team in October of 2010 and has since been of tremendous assistance in developing the museum's nascent social media program.  Christina arrived in Newport last fall when her husband began coursework at the Surface Warfare Officers School. The Missouri native earned her masters degree in parks and recreation from the University of Missouri and answered the museum's call for volunteers on the New England Museum Association website to apply some of her training and skills in curatorial projects. 

Christina photographing the "Settlers' Stone"
Christina spent several months developing a chronology of dates related to general naval history and the history of local naval commands such as the Naval War College and Naval Torpedo Station. This list of dates will help the museum produce timely blog and facebook posts that recognize important anniversaries such as the Battle of Lake Erie and the founding of the Naval Training Station in Newport. Christina is also an avid photographer and she set to work photographing buildings, landmarks, and street signs on the base for the new monthly blog feature Naval Namesakes. Christina edited the photos, researched the name origins, and wrote many of the blog entries. The first blog on Hopkins Avenue appeared in March and readers can expect many more to follow.

Christina is leaving this month for Virginia, where her husband will begin service on a destroyer based at Naval Station Norfolk. Her efforts have substantially increased our ability to engage the public using social media. Though the museum is open to the public, our location on a naval base restricts access. Social media helps us reach a wider audience with our mission to educate the public about the naval heritage of the region. The museum wishes her well at the new duty station and extends deep appreciation for her hard work and talent. Those interested in volunteering with the curatorial department can call 401-841-1296 for more information.

Image courtesy of the Naval War College Museum

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