{"id":1792,"date":"2023-06-22T20:08:35","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T20:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/emsi\/?page_id=1792"},"modified":"2025-08-25T22:19:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T22:19:54","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/home\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>From the Director<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) supports advanced research on human societies between 1450 and 1850. EMSI has a global focus, with an aim to advance knowledge of the diverse societies in and around the Atlantic and Pacific basins.<\/p>\n<p>EMSI is composed of a community of scholars based in the Los Angeles region, including local researchers and short- and long-term visitors to the Huntington. We strive to nourish intellectual achievement, advance interdisciplinary research, and share path-breaking discoveries in the humanities and social sciences.<\/p>\n<p>Positioned in a city that is intellectually vibrant and demographically diverse, EMSI combines the strengths of a major urban university with a world class independent research institution. Our programs contribute to the development of a range of traditional disciplines (primarily but not exclusively history, literature, music, and the history of art) by bringing together the insights and techniques of scholars of early modern peoples and cultures.\u00a0 Towards that end, EMSI partners with similar institutions across North America and Europe to promote important new work through conferences and scholarly publications.<\/p>\n<p>Peter C. Mancall<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1799\" src=\"\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent-202x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"156\" height=\"232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent-202x300.png 202w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent-691x1024.png 691w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent-768x1138.png 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent-1037x1536.png 1037w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/EMSI-logo-pina-transparent.png 1352w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 156px) 100vw, 156px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <div class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \">\n<div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\">\n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n<p><em>Image: Detail from \u201cVallard Atlas,\u201d (1547) HM 29 f.1, chart 9, North America, east coast. Portolan atlas. Courtesy of the Huntington Library.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--full-width-image-and-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--full-width-image-and-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"image-container\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Vallard-Compass-4-2000x1150-2-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Vallard-Compass-4-2000x1150-2-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Vallard-Compass-4-2000x1150-2-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Vallard-Compass-4-2000x1150-2-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Early Modern map with a ship surrounded by compasses.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Thank You!\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute thanks the Mellon Foundation, the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Linda and Harlan Martens, Carole Shammas, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Huntington Library for their support. Seminar meetings are free and open to the public.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"links-container\">\n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/giveto.usc.edu\/?fundid=9218351045&#038;appealcode=WDORN0001&#038;buttongen=1&#038;hidetop=1\n    aria-label=\"Read more about Donate to EMSI\"  \n>\n    Donate to EMSI \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mellon.org\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2322\" src=\"\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Mellon_Logo_White-01-2-300x76.jpg\" alt=\"Melon Foundation\" width=\"300\" height=\"76\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Mellon_Logo_White-01-2-300x76.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Mellon_Logo_White-01-2-1024x261.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Mellon_Logo_White-01-2-768x196.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2023\/06\/Mellon_Logo_White-01-2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8345\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-300x111.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-300x111.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-1024x378.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-768x284.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-1536x567.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/emsi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/66\/2025\/04\/NEH-Logo-Full-Color-Vertical-2048x756.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":8640,"parent":4,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1792","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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