Oliver Wendell Holmes Travel Award: Rohan Subramaniam

Rohan Subramaniam, who is an archivist-in-training at Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc., in Long Island City, New York, is the 2026 recipient of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Travel Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Established in 1979, the award enables international archivists who are currently training or studying in the United States or Canada to augment their experience by traveling to the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists.

After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film from Pratt Institute in 2023, Subramaniam’s interest in archives grew due to his experience as an audiovisual technician at the Pratt Institute Libraries. Bitten by the library and archives bug, he went on to earn his Master of Library and Information Science degree from Queens College starting in 2024. 

In addition to his present tenure with Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc., an organization whose mission is to present, preserve, interpret, educate, and advocate on behalf of avant-garde art, his archival journey has included creating resources such as tailored databases for other small arts organizations, including Socrates Sculpture Park and the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. He engages in local arts events and consults with the artists themselves about how they wish their records to be created and maintained. Like all Franklin Furnace staffers, Rohan is also an artist, with the empathy, sensibility, and care required to properly preserve and present the records of the community.

Subramaniam’s thirst for archival knowledge and desire to understand the broader mechanics of global archives while working tirelessly to pay for his tuition himself exemplifies the spirit of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Travel Award. Committee member Jesse Keel said, “Mr. Subramaniam demonstrated a dedicated approach to archival work and scholarship. His interest in learning more about international trends in digital preservation and local approaches to community-based archiving revealed a strong vision for his development in the field through attending the Annual Meeting.”