The Invention of the Colonial Americas – Data, Architecture, and the Archive of

Name: The Invention of the Colonial Americas – Data, Architecture, and the Archive of
Brand: Getty Trust Publications

Getty Trust Publications

Discover how historical perspectives on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are shaped by radical revisionism in Spain during the late 1700s through this architectural history and media-archaeological study. "The Invention of the Colonial Americas" delves into the evolving theories and practices of government archives in Enlightenment Spain, focusing on the Archive of the Indies in Seville. This meticulously researched book, by Byron Ellsworth Hamann, explores how the design of building layouts, storage systems, and document arrangements actively fostered new knowledge creation. It draws upon a wealth of eighteenth-century architectural plans, descriptions, models, and document catalogs to provide a precise account of archives as dynamic assemblages of spaces, humans, and data, capable of generating scholarly innovation. Key Features: * Architectural history and media-archaeological study of Enlightenment Spain's government archives. * Explores the Archive of the Indies in Seville and its role in shaping historical perspectives. * Detailed analysis of how archival design influenced knowledge creation. * Based on extensive research using primary sources from the eighteenth century. This hardcover book provides a unique insight into the construction of historical narratives and the role of archives in scholarly innovation. A must-read for those interested in history, architecture, and archival studies.