Camron-Stanford House names new executive director

Iliana Morton has been named Executive Director of the Camron-Stanford House, a historic house museum on the shores of Lake Merritt. The role of Executive Director is new for Camron-Stanford House, having been a primarily small, volunteer run organization for much of the organization’s 40+ year history.

The Camron-Stanford House is the last of the beautiful Victorian mansions that once surrounded Lake Merritt, and was the home to five influential families before becoming the first museum in the City of Oakland.

The restored home helps visitors time travel to the 1880s and enter meticulously recreated living spaces while learning about the early days of Oakland as a city. In addition, the house presents various exhibits throughout the year that focus on aspects of life and culture in the 19th century.

The mission of the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association is to preserve and protect this landmark Victorian home and garden for the public’s delight, and to promote an appreciation of local history through engaging exhibits and events.

Morton graduated from Harvard University in the spring of 2020 with a master’s degree in museum studies. During her time in the program, she focused her studies on historic house museums and the intersection of community engagement and collections care.

Over the past three years, Morton has served as the museum’s Collections Registrar and Assistant Director of Collections and Exhibits. Throughout the museum’s 2020-2021 closure due to COVID-19, Morton developed virtual programming, including a 360 virtual tour, online exhibits, and online educational history programs.

She looks forward to bringing a community-first mindset to her new role, and is eager to expand access to the museum and grounds, and welcome new visitors into the Camron-Stanford House with new exhibits and programs that celebrate and honor the diverse stories of Oakland and California’s nineteenth century past.

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