About Abby Whitlock 

A native of Central Virginia, Abby Whitlock is a museum professional and independent cultural and military historian. Her main historical focus is on British and German aviation during the First World War, but has extensive research and programming experience  related to aviation and combat medicine during both World Wars, the Victorian Era, and British imperialism.

She earned a BA in History and European Studies at the College of William and Mary in 2019, graduating Summa Cum Laude, a member of Phi Alpha Theta, and a funded Honors Fellow for the 2018-2019 year. Her undergraduate honors thesis “A Return to Camelot?: British Identity, The Masculine Ideal, and the Romanticization of the Royal Flying Corps Image” focused on the factors contributing to the masculine ideal of the flying ace for media and official use during the First World War and received the department’s highest honors. During her undergraduate career, she conducted independent research on topics such as shell shock treatment, the intersection of war and memory in popular culture, and representations of post-war coping mechanisms in Erich Maria Remarque’s Im Westen nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front, 1929) and Der Weg zurück (The Road Back, 1931). She also conducted research on the intersection between music, politics, and the legacies of the World Wars in the music of the 1970s and 1980s, focusing on the music of Duran Duran (her favorite band).

She completed her Masters with Distinction in History from the University of Edinburgh in October 2022. Her dissertation, ‘“It’s a rum life”: Physical Space, Group Dynamics, and Morale Amongst Royal Flying Corps Scout Pilots, 1914-1918″, explored how the infant nature of aviation during the First World War allowed for the maintenance of hegemonic masculine ideals through the creation of physical spaces on aerodromes.

She’s contributed to archival research and public programming at the Louisa County Historical Society and National D-Day Memorial. At the National D-Day Memorial, she assisted with the planning and execution of educational programming for K-12 groups regarding experiences of Army personnel during the D-Day invasion, as well as updating the tour offerings for various tour groups. She conducted archival research in the foundation’s collection regarding Nordic Waffen-SS divisions, as well as the development of combat medicine practices for airborne operations from 1942-1946.

Her career goals include using digital media platforms to make historical and cultural education material accessible and appealing to a varied, global audience.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts in History and European Studies (Summa Cum Laude): College of William and Mary, 2019

  • MSc in History (with Distinction): University of Edinburgh, 2022

Experience

  • Archival Assistant and Docent: Louisa County Historical Society, June 2013-August 2018

  • Education Assistant Intern: National D-Day Memorial, May-July, 2016

  • Assistant to Program of Research, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts: National Gallery of Art, October 2019-September 2021

  • Gallery Support Specialist, Digital Content Strategy and Experience Division: National Gallery of Art, September 2021-June 2024

  • Digital Initiatives Coordinator, Digital Content Strategy and Experience Division: National Gallery of Art, June 2024-Current

Professional and Organizational Memberships

  • Society for Military History (Member)

  • Royal Aeronautical Society, Aeronautical Heritage Specialist Group (Committee Member)

  • Imperial War Museum’s War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network (Member)

  • Military History Welfare Network (Member)

  • International Society for First World War Studies (Member)

  • Second World War Research Group, North America (Member)

  • Second World War Network (Scotland) (Member)

  • American Alliance of Museums (Member)

  • Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society (Theta-Theta Chapter) (Member and former Historian, 2018-2019)