Directed by Marc Smith, École Nationale des Chartes, Paris
July 7 - August 1, 2008
The 2008 Mellon Paleography Institute will deal with French manuscripts and archival material, from the 13th to the 17th century. It is aimed at students and scholars with a special interest in French literature, history and art history. The course will consist of a summary outline of the history of handwriting in France, followed by intensive training in reading from facsimiles, both in class and at home, which should result in greater familiarity not only with the development of handwriting but also with further aspects of written communication in the late-mediaeval and early-modern period. Language of instruction is mainly French, since candidates are expected to have sufficient knowledge of modern French to gain some understanding of its earlier forms.
Marc Smith is professor of Palaeography at the Ecole nationale des chartes, vice-president of CIPL (Comité international de paléographie latine), and a former archivist at the Archives Nationales (Paris).
Each institute will enroll 15 participants. First consideration will be given to advanced graduate students and junior faculty at U.S. colleges and universities, but applications will also be accepted from professional staff of U.S. libraries and museums, and from qualified independent scholars. Advanced language skills are required. Applicants selected for admission will receive a stipend to help defray the cost of attending the institute.
Please email the following forms to: renaissance@newberry.org. The application deadline is March 3, 2008.
Application Guidelines
Application Cover Sheet
Recommendation Form