Today is Founder’s Day, the birthday of Henry Edwards Huntington. Each year, The Huntington commemorates the occasion with a Founder’s Day Lecture, and last week Shelley M. Bennett delivered a talk titled “Private to Public: A Family History of the Collecting and Philanthropy of Collis, Arabella, Archer, and Henry Huntington.” … Continue reading
Orchid enthusiasts have a great resource in the San Gabriel Valley Orchid Hobbyists, an organization that has kept its doors open since 1952, welcoming anybody who is interested in learning more about orchids. Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic … Continue reading
In July 1776, as George Washington readied himself and his troops for the British attack on New York, he took the time to write a letter to a loyalist merchant who had long supplied him with British and Chinese goods. As British ships approached, Washington meticulously reviewed the list of … Continue reading
Michael Hart spent 40 years as the vice president and general manager of the Sunny Slope Water Company in Pasadena. After retiring in 2008, he spent three years producing eight hand-colored maps and illustrations of the historic San Gabriel Mission water complex, including accurate renderings of ditches, dams, and mills … Continue reading
Erik Altenbernd and Alex Young are just now completing their graduate coursework at UC Irvine and USC, respectively. They both study California and the American West, Altenbernd as a historian and Young as a literary scholar. Before diving into their dissertations they have been pondering the granddaddy thesis of them … Continue reading
In the past month, you might have bought or received an orchid for Chinese New Year’s or Valentine’s Day. And maybe you are well aware of your bad history of killing every Phalaenopsis you buy from Trader Joe’s, but you are determined this time to keep your precious plant alive. … Continue reading
Late last month, Harry S. Stout gave a public lecture titled “Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural as America’s Sermon to the World.” Before he began his talk, though, he turned the podium over to Lincoln biographer Ronald C. White Jr., who read Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address in its entirety. “In the … Continue reading
Behind every great book collection is a good love story. Someone with an obsession for antiquarian children’s books or signed first editions might spend a lifetime amassing a collection, scouring garage sales, used bookstores, and the Internet for that rare find. They also go to book fairs. This weekend’s 45th … Continue reading
Another post in a series about The Huntington’s orchid collection. Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and most likely you have no clue what to get for your significant other. Time is ticking and you want to make this year a little different from the ones before. It’s time to break … Continue reading
Today is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. The English novelist wrote many of his greatest works in serial form, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, and Great Expectations. He also wrote a lot of letters. The Huntington has more than a thousand of them, including a group … Continue reading