Deciding what goes into a library exhibition is far more difficult than you might expect. After months of research in books and archival collections, you’re expected to concentrate all of that knowledge and insight into fewer than 100 items. In my case, the effort to select appropriate pieces often means … Continue reading
Category Archives: History of The Huntington
EXHIBITIONS | Welcome to Los Robles Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
I came across quite a few interesting pieces when I was researching my current exhibition, “Cultivating California: Founding Families of the San Marino Ranch.” When I was researching George S. Patton (senior), I stumbled upon an item that was begging to be displayed. On an onion-skin sheet dated April 26, … Continue reading
The Life of Skip Brack
Bibliographers seldom get much attention, especially when they choose the literary giant Samuel Johnson as their subject. Scholar O M “Skip” Brack Jr. relished living in the shadow of such greatness, annotating scholarly editions of Johnson’s writings while earning the respect and admiration from those who meant the most to … Continue reading
Remembering a Gentleman and Scholar
Huntington readers and staff have many fond memories of John Steadman (pictured at left, above), who was a much-loved member of our community for more than 40 years, and whose numerous publications may be found on the Library’s shelves. John’s combination of deep scholarship, selfless service, and warm fellowship made … Continue reading
First Among Huntington Librarians
It’s National Library Week (April 8–14), the perfect time to celebrate the contributions of The Huntington’s librarians, including Henry Huntington’s first: George Watson Cole. A leading bibliographer in the United States during the first quarter of the 20th century, Cole was 65 when he was hired in New York in … Continue reading
Scholar, Mentor, Friend
With the recent death of Patrick Collinson, Regius Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Cambridge, scholarship on the social and political history of early modern England will be much diminished. See his obituary on the website of the Daily Telegraph. But his passing is of local significance in … Continue reading
A Grand Old Flagpole
Henry Huntington must have loved the Fourth of July, because when it came to flag-waving he went to great lengths (and heights) to show his patriotic spirit. The grand old flagpole that he purchased in 1909 is 148 feet of solid Douglas fir, cut from a single tree. The metallic paint job is so convincing that most Huntington visitors have no idea the pole is made of wood. Continue reading
LECTURES | Speaking of Birthdays
For a short month, February has a lot of big birthdays—George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Darwin, to name just a few. Perhaps none is bigger (here, at least) than Henry Edwards Huntington’s. He was born Feb. 27, 1850, in Oneonta, N.Y. Since the founding of this institution, officials have commemorated the anniversary with a Founder’s Day lecture. Continue reading