NPS HABS/HAER Panama Canal: US/ICOMOS Internship

Victoria Valletta
Tarxien, Malta

completed a 2004 US/ICOMOS Internship with the

National Park Service's
HABS/HAER/HALS Program
Washington, DC, USA

"I'm really grateful to US/ICOMOS for giving me the opportunity to undertake this wonderful experience.  I am really glad I came face-to-face with the preservation system in the United States. Another bonus from this experience is meeting all the interns and spending time with them. It is amazing to learn all about the different cultures and traditions from these interns who practically come from around the globe."

Victoria Valletta
2004 US/ICOMOS
Intern from Malta

Victoria Valletta worked primarily in the Washington, DC office of the NPS HABS/HAER program on several projects but also had the opportunity to make several site visits.  Her initial project involved editing existing documentation drawings of the Panama Canal, primarily the Pedro Miguel Locks, in order to finalize them for transfer to the Library of Congress.  During the latter part of her internship she worked onsite at the Oyster Mill in Calvert County, Maryland collecting data necessary for creating a 3-D model upon her return to the office.

This internship was sponsored by the National Park Service's
Historic American Building Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/
Historic American Landscape Survey in Washington, DC.

The US/ICOMOS International Intern Exchange Program is funded by a variety sources.  Each of the host organizations in the U.S. contribute funds that cover a substantial portion of the costs for interns from overseas.  Grants from private foundations and individual donors support the internships for U.S. preservationists traveling overseas, with additional support from some of the overseas host organizations.  The 2004 overseas internships were supported by the Dorothy-Ann Foundation, Marpat Foundation, Keepers Fund for Historic Preservation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and contributions from numerous individuals.