George Schwartz

George Schwartz serves as Lecturer in the Museum Studies Program at Tufts University and holds the position of Curator-at-Large at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM). His work bridges academic scholarship with museum practice through exhibitions, publications, and public programs focused on material culture interpretation.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in American & New England Studies from Boston University
• MA in Historical Archaeology from University of Massachusetts Boston
• Graduate of Brown University and Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program

Dr. Schwartz's research explores how material culture shapes historical understanding, with emphasis on antebellum American collecting practices, maritime history, and cross-cultural object interpretation. His scholarship examines institutional frameworks for exhibiting international artifacts, particularly through the lens of New England's historical connections to global trade networks. He has presented at major institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. Louis Art Museum, and Ashmolean Museum.

His seminal 2020 monograph Collecting the Globe establishes foundational analysis of the East India Marine Society's collecting methodologies, revealing how early American museums constructed narratives of global engagement through material objects. This work demonstrates evolving approaches to interpreting cultural heritage within museum contexts.

Regarding professional activities, Dr. Schwartz has developed interactive media and public programming at PEM while contributing to exhibition catalogues and scholarly journals. The available information does not specify graduate student advising relationships or external research funding.