The conference organizers invite proposals for papers examining aspects of collecting as a global and transcultural phenomenon in the period ca. 1450 to ca. 1850.

Collecting across Cultures in the Early Modern World

The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute will host a major international conference, “Collecting across Cultures in the Early Modern World,” to take place at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, on May 11th and 12th, 2007.

The conference organizers invite proposals for papers examining aspects of collecting as a global and transcultural phenomenon in the period ca. 1450 to ca. 1850, including but not limited to the following topics:

• The formation and organization of collections: trajectories, networks, circulation, exchange
• The motivations and uses of collections: science, art, religion, curiosity, commerce, empire
• The interpretation, contextualization, and reinvention of early modern collections
• The transference of techniques, artistic styles, ideas, and beliefs through the circulation of objects
• The role of geography in the production, circulation, and interpretation of collections
• The role of theories of center and periphery, diffusionism, transculturation, metissage, etc. in the understanding of collections
• Relationships between objects, texts, and images

Given the global focus of the conference, the organizers encourage the submission of proposals which examine not only how non-European material was collected by Europeans but also how collectors outside Europe collected from other cultures (including Europe).

The conference welcomes applications from scholars working across disciplinary and institutional settings.  To be considered, please submit an abstract (not to exceed one page) and a c.v. (not to exceed two pages) to bleichma@usc.edu, or mail a copy of these materials to Collecting Conference Organizing Committee, USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute, SOS 153, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089-0034.  Proposals are due no later than November 1, 2006.

The conference will provide transportation and local costs for those accepted on the program.  The papers will be pre-circulated among participants and must be available by March 30, 2006. 

Questions may be addressed to the conference organizers, Daniela Bleichmar (bleichma@usc.edu) and Malcolm Baker (mcbaker@usc.edu).  Information about the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute can be found at www.usc.edu/emsi.