Anthony Thomas Grafton (born May 21, 1950) is an American
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
of early modern Europe and the Henry Putnam University Professor of History at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
, where he is also the Director the Program in European Cultural Studies. He is also a corresponding fellow of the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
and a recipient of the
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the br ...
. From January 2011 to January 2012, he served as the President of the
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...
.
Early life and education
Grafton was born on May 21, 1950, in
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. He was educated at
Phillips Academy
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = Ma ...
(Andover).
He attended the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, from which he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in history in 1971 and a Master of Arts degree in 1972. He made
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
in 1970, with honors in history and in the college. After studying at
University College, London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = Â ...
, under
ancient historian
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...
Arnaldo Momigliano
Arnaldo Dante Momigliano (5 September 1908 – 1 September 1987) was an Italian historian of classical antiquity, known for his work in historiography, and characterised by Donald Kagan as "the world's leading student of the writing of history i ...
, from 1973 to 1974, he earned his
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
degree in history from the University of Chicago in 1975. He still retains links with the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
's
Warburg Institute
The Warburg Institute is a research institution associated with the University of London in central London, England. A member of the School of Advanced Study, its focus is the study of cultural history and the role of images in culture – cros ...
.
Grafton married Louise Erlich in 1972, and was married to her until her death in 2019. They had two children.
Career
After a brief period teaching at
Cornell's history department, he was appointed to a position at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in 1975, where he has subsequently remained. Since January 2007, he has been a co-editor of the ''
Journal of the History of Ideas
The ''Journal of the History of Ideas'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering intellectual history and the history of ideas, including the histories of philosophy, literature and the arts, natural and social sciences, religion, a ...
''.
Works
Anthony Grafton is noted for his studies of the classical tradition from the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
to the eighteenth century, and in the
history of historical scholarship. His many books include a study of the scholarship and chronology of Renaissance scholar
Joseph Scaliger
Joseph Justus Scaliger (; 5 August 1540 – 21 January 1609) was a French Calvinist religious leader and scholar, known for expanding the notion of classical history from Greek and Ancient Roman history to include Persian, Babylonian, Jewis ...
(2 vols, 1983–1993), and, more recently, studies of
Girolamo Cardano
Gerolamo Cardano (; also Girolamo or Geronimo; french: link=no, Jérôme Cardan; la, Hieronymus Cardanus; 24 September 1501– 21 September 1576) was an Italian polymath, whose interests and proficiencies ranged through those of mathematician, ...
as an astrologer (1999) and
Leon Battista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer; he epitomised the nature of those identified now as polymaths. H ...
(2000). In 1996, he delivered the
Triennial E. A. Lowe Lectures at
Corpus Christi College,
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, speaking on Ancient History in Early Modern Europe.
Together with
Lisa Jardine
Lisa Anne Jardine (née Bronowski; 12 April 1944 – 25 October 2015) was a British historian of the early modern period.
From 1990 to 2011, she was Centenary Professor of Renaissance Studies and Director of the Centre for Editing Lives and ...
, he also co-wrote a
revisionist account of the significance of Renaissance education (''From Humanism to the Humanities'', 1986) and on the
marginalia
Marginalia (or apostils) are marks made in the margins of a book or other document. They may be scribbles, comments, glosses (annotations), critiques, doodles, drolleries, or illuminations.
Biblical manuscripts
Biblical manuscripts have ...
of
Gabriel Harvey
Gabriel Harvey (c. 1552/3 – 1631) was an English writer. Harvey was a notable scholar, whose reputation suffered from his quarrel with Thomas Nashe. Henry Morley, writing in the ''Fortnightly Review'' (March 1869), has argued that Harvey's Lati ...
.
He also penned several essay collections, including ''Defenders of the Text'' (1991), which deals with the relations between scholarship and science in the
early modern period, and, most recently, ''Worlds Made by Words''. His most original and accessible book is ''The Footnote: A Curious History'' (1997; published in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
as ''Die Tragischen Ursprünge der deutschen Fußnote''), a case study of how the marginal footnote developed as a central and powerful tool in the hands of historians.
He also writes on a wide variety of topics for ''
The New Republic
''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...
'', ''
The American Scholar
"The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gr ...
'', and ''
The New York Review of Books
''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
''. He owns a
bookwheel
The bookwheel (also written book wheel and sometimes called a reading wheel) is a type of rotating bookcase that allows one person to read multiple books in one location with ease. The books are rotated vertically similar to the motion of a water ...
which he keeps at hand in his home.
Honors
*
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, History, 1993
* Member of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
, elected 1993
*
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the br ...
for History of the Humanities, 2002
*Member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
, elected 2002
*Fellow of
The British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
, elected 1997
* Honorary degree from
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
, 2006
* Honorary degree from
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, 2013
*
The Sigmund H. Danziger, Jr. Memorial Lecture in the Humanities,
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, 2011
*
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...
*
Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
*
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
*
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (german: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften), abbreviated BBAW, is the official academic society for the natural sciences and humanities for the States of Germany, German ...
Selected publications
Articles
* Grafton, Anthony. "The History of Ideas: Precept and Practice, 1950–2000 and Beyond". ''Journal of the History of Ideas'' 67#1 (2006): 1–32
online
Books
*''Joseph Scaliger: A Study in the History of Classical Scholarship'', Oxford-Warburg Studies (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983–1993).
*with Lisa Jardine, ''From Humanism to the Humanities. Education and the Liberal Arts in Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century Europe'' (London: Duckworth, 1986).
*''Forgers and Critics. Creativity and Duplicity in Western Scholarship'' (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990).
*''Defenders of the Text: The Traditions of Scholarship in the Age of Science, 1450–1800'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1991).
*''New Worlds, Ancient Texts: The Power of Tradition and the Shock of Discovery'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995).
*''Commerce with the Classics: Ancient Books and Renaissance Readers'' (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1997).
*''The Footnote: A Curious History'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1997).
*''Cardano's Cosmos : The Worlds and Works of a Renaissance Astrologer'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999).
*''Leon Battista Alberti: Master Builder of the Italian Renaissance'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2000).
*''Bring Out Your Dead: The Past as Revelation'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2001).
*''What Was History?: The Art of History in Early Modern Europe'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006).
*with Megan Hale Williams, ''Christianity and the Transformation of the Book: Origen, Eusebius, and the Library of Caesarea'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2006).
*''Codex in Crisis'' (New York: The Crumpled Press, 2008). Video: ,
Authors@Google, February 12, 2009.
*with Brian A. Curran, Pamela O. Long, and Benjamin Weiss, ''Obelisk: A History'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Burndy Library and MIT Press, 2009).
*''Worlds Made by Words'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2009). Review by Véronique Krings
Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2009.09.32*(with Joanna Weinberg), ''"I Have Always Loved the Holy Tongue": Isaac Casaubon, The Jews, and a Forgotten Chapter in Renaissance Scholarship'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2011).
*''Inky Fingers: The Making of Books in Early Modern Europe'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2020).
Essays
Anthony Graftonat ''The New York Review of Books''
References
External links
*
* YouTube videos:
*
* ("Life on the Burning Deck: Defending the Humanities in the 21st Century", a lecture delivered at the University of New Hampshire on November 1, 2010)
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* (April 2, 2009, Lorenz Eitner Lecture delivered by Anthony Grafton)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grafton, Anthony
1950 births
Living people
21st-century American historians
American male non-fiction writers
Cornell University Department of History faculty
Historians of antiquity
Historians of science
People associated with the Warburg Institute
Princeton University faculty
University of Chicago alumni
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)
Corresponding Fellows of the British Academy
Historians of the Renaissance
21st-century American male writers
Members of the American Philosophical Society