Huntington

Huntington Library in the small town of San Marino in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles is for many historians of early-modern England a veritable paradise on earth.

The library is situated in the middle of a vast botanical garden, and it also plays host to large collections of art. The library is the creation of the railroad baron Henry E. Huntington. Huntington’s uncle was one of the first builders of a trans American railway line. This and the Los Angeles rail network created by Henry E. Huntington himself (which at its peak comprised over 2000 kilometres of track), together with numerous other successful business ventures, made him exceptionally wealthy. Henry E. Huntington had also begun to systematically collect both art and old books and manuscripts. They form the basis of the present Huntington Library collections.

Numerous shorter research and lecture visits to the library and the 2006–07 academic year that I spent there represent the absolute highpoints of my academic career.

By Written by Markku Peltonen (Suvi Uotinen ed.), translated by Matthew Billington

Markku Peltonen

Markku Aimo Olavi Peltonen
Born December 9, 1957 Helsinki

Master of Arts 1984, Licentiate 1988 and PhD 1992 (general History), University of Helsinki

Academy Professor 2014–18
Principle Investigator of the Academy of Finland research project Participatory Politics and State Formation in Early-Modern England: Monarchy, the Public and Democratic Distrust
Professor of general history 2009–, University of Helsinki (leave of absence 2014–18)
Professor of intellectual history 2007–09, University of Helsinki

Publications, research projects and other academic activity

Research themes: early modern intellectual and cultural history, particularly political thought, the history of politeness and manners and the development of natural philosophy in the early modern era.

Photo: Linda Tammisto / Helsingin yliopisto
Written by Markku Peltonen (Suvi Uotinen, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington