Welcome to EMSI!

The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) explores the history, literature, art, and science of the Early Modern period (c. 1450-1850). The institute’s range is global – instead of focusing on a particular region, EMSI aims to advance knowledge of the diverse societies in and around the Atlantic and Pacific basins. Researchers nourish diverse perspectives, advance interdisciplinary perspectives, and share discoveries about the Early Modern period with the goal of informing the ways we approach problems today as well as keeping us in touch with the sources of our common humanity.

Check out the 2025- 2026 EMSI Seminar Series.

See the full calendar of EMSI events.

Join EMSI Events and Opportunities!

drawing of a figure playing a flute
Early Music Series

Music of Revolutions in France and New Spain

 

Friday, March 6, 2026
USC, Newman Recital Hall

black and white photograph of three older women dress in antiquated clothing
Huntington Research Conference

Old Women, Race, and Power in the Atlantic World, 1600-Present

 

Friday & Saturday, March 6 & 7, 2026
The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall

Carassco mural detail
LA2026

Painting L.A. History

 

Thursday, March 12, 2026
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Recent Events

Early Modern map depicting a ship surrounded by compasses.

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Image: Detail from “Vallard Atlas,” (1547) HM 29 f.1, chart 9, North America, east coast. Portolan atlas. Courtesy of the Huntington Library.