by Renelaine Bontol Pfister
We know it’s not easy to find your dream job, one that perfectly aligns with your skills, background, and interests.
But Marie Uytingco Wasnock, Associate Archivist at Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, has done it.
Marie was born in Honolulu and raised in Mililani. When her father served in the U.S. Navy, her parents came from the Philippines and lived in different U.S. states before finally settling in Hawaii.
When Marie studied English literature in college and visited the Smith College Rare Book Room, she saw the journals and manuscripts of one of her favorite writers, Sylvia Plath.
“These unique materials fascinated me so much that I wondered what educational and professional experience I needed to work in a library, archive, or museum,” she shared.
She acquired her Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
She moved to Massachusetts in 2006, where she worked various part-time jobs in libraries, archives, and museums while also taking museum studies courses at Harvard University’s Extension School.
That’s when she first learned about Harvard’s Peabody Museum.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marie was part of the “Great Resignation,” when an unprecedented number of people chose to leave their jobs. For Marie, it was a bold move to leave her job amidst the uncertainty.
She kept working part-time jobs in libraries and remained immersed in books and reading.
Marie said, “Luckily, I came across an ad for the Associate Archivist position at the Peabody Museum. I thought it aligned so well with my skills and interests! I am so lucky and grateful that this job came into my life when it did because I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to find a full-time job in archives again.”
Marie provides research access to the archival collections at the museum, serving the Harvard community and answering inquiries from researchers across the globe in various fields: anthropology, history, art, architecture, cultural studies, film studies, and more.
“The Peabody’s archival collections particularly focus on the history of anthropology and archaeology,” Marie said, and include materials such as field notes, manuscripts, photographs, prints, maps, drawings, and audiovisual materials.
This exposure to archival collections and interaction with researchers around the world has turned Marie into what she calls an “armchair anthropologist.”
Her educational background is in Literature and Library Science, but she has learned a lot about anthropology through her job.
“Reading archival documents, learning about the museum’s collections and world cultures and histories, answering questions, and interacting with our visitors and hearing about the kinds of research and projects they do,” Marie shared.
“I’m often answering questions from people all around the world; Sometimes it feels like I’m mentally traveling the world from the comfort of my desk chair.”
Her job at the Peabody Museum has also allowed her to learn more about her Filipino background. Growing up in a diverse community in Hawaii which includes Filipinos, Marie was proud of her background but was also exposed to hearing about stereotypes, which she wished to dispel.
The online exhibit titled Balikbayan/Homecoming features materials from the Philippine collections at the Peabody Museum and reflections of Filipinos and Filipino Americans on these collections and can be viewed at https://peabody.harvard.edu/balikbayan_homecoming
“I focus on the photographic collections from the Philippines in the museum’s archives and my journey to understanding the history of these photos, how they were obtained, and who was photographed,” Marie explained.
“These photographs were taken during the American colonial period (1898-1946) in the Philippines and collected by former Harvard alumnus and U.S. Governor-General to the Philippines, William Cameron Forbes. Many are inadequately identified or not identified at all, but they reveal a unique glimpse into life in early-twentieth-century Philippines and the impact of colonial and imperialist influences. I wanted to highlight what information can be found about these photographs in the archival collections at Harvard University libraries.”
In the fall of 2023, former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo visited the Peabody Museum, and Marie was able to show her items from the Philippine collections.
“This exhibit not only brings attention to Philippine cultural items in the Peabody Museum’s collections and encourages its audience to discover more about Philippine history and culture, but also highlights Filipino voices and perspectives on these items,” Marie remarked.
“When the exhibit was unveiled at the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture’s Filipino Heritage celebration in May, many Filipinos joyfully expressed how they felt seen and heard. This made the project even more meaningful to us, and to me as a contributor.”
She attributes her success to her parents’ focus on family, faith, and education. Her parents gave her the positive influence to do well in school and pursue a college education. “This is how I eventually ended up on the East Coast,” Marie said.
Marie recalls her visit to the Philippines when she was seven years old: picking santol from a tree in her aunt’s backyard, riding a cart pulled by a carabao, swimming in a hot spring, and eating too much Magnolia ice cream.
She also got to visit a school and attend a class, where she learned how to count to ten in Tagalog. Marie can still count to ten in Tagalog.
“I’d like to go back as an adult and hopefully learn more!” she said.
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