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Meet the Mellon Fellows: Dr. Melissa M. Benbow Flowers

Dr. Melissa M. Benbow Flowers

University of Delaware
PhD, English

Host Site: Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Fellowship Title: The Lives of Domestic Workers at Glenmont, Thomas and Mina Edison’s Home
Project Description: Dr. Benbow will research the lives of the six generations of predominately female domestic workers in the Edison household and place their experiences into broader social contexts. She will develop educational and interpretive products to share this research with the public and with NPS staff.

Bio:

Dr. Benbow Flowers is a scholar of late nineteenth-century literature and culture. Her interests include African American art and literature, Black diasporic cultures, museum curation and museum education. She earned a Ph.D. in English with a certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Delaware. Her dissertation, "Before Black Bohemia: Edmonia Lewis In the Post-bellum, Pre-Harlem Period," explores the career of artist Edmonia Lewis, paying particular attention to her visits to the United States and her contributions to African American culture.

Prior to earning her doctoral degree, Dr. Benbow Flowers received a bachelor's degree in English with a certificate in African American Studies from Princeton University. Melissa used her time in graduate school to gain experience in museum-related work. She was a Curatorial Research Assistant at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and a research intern at the Read House and Gardens, a museum in Old New Castle, Delaware. In addition, she was a Museum Educator at the Delaware Art Museum and an Education Fellow at the Brandywine Art Museum. As graduate assistant for the University of Delaware’s Museum Studies and Public Engagement program, she was project organizer for a Collections AID, an archive collections-related service project.

Tell us about your research interests!

I'm interested in late nineteenth and twentieth century art and culture, immigration, expatriation, diaspora, and literature of the Americas.

How does your research connect to the mission of the National Park Service, which serves both parks and communities?

I learned a lot about nineteenth-century literature and history through my research and professional experiences, and many of the places we cherish today were established during this period. My research includes America's first centennial, and place making as well as defining community and identity formation were major parts of that. I think I will be able to contribute to NPS mission with my knowledge base.

What are you most excited about as you begin your fellowship?

I am excited to learn about my site and to begin research. I am excited about all of the potential. I love learning, so I'm ready to dive right into this new learning experience.