This panel seeks papers for the Renaissance Society of America’s annual meeting to be held in Philadelphia, March 11-13, 2027.
How does the material character of the map shape its capacity to communicate? How can the interrogation of format, support, media, techniques, modes of storage and display, marks of classification, ownership and origin add meaning and context to the information on its surface? Do different types and characters of materials and formats shape reception of geographical information? What evidence do we have of the value or valence of materials to mapmakers? Particularly in an age of expanding global awareness, how might materials have connected mapping processes to specific sites? How did the materiality signify to Indigenous map traditions? In its consideration of these questions, this session will highlight the importance of the form and format of the early modern map as integral components of its interpretation.
Please send the following materials to Hayley Cotter (hcotter@umass.edu) and Camille Serchuk (serchukc1@southernct.edu):
paper title (15-word maximum)
paper abstract (200-word maximum)
resume (.pdf or .doc)
PhD or other terminal degree completion year (past or expected)
full name, current affiliation, and email address.
Submission deadline: July 15, 2026.
Notification date: August 1, 2026.