Diego Godoy. | Photo: Sean Swanick.
SAN MARINO, Calif.—The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced today the appointment of Diego Godoy as the new associate curator of the Library’s California and Hispanic collections. A native of Los Angeles, Godoy comes to The Huntington from Duke University Libraries, where he serves as librarian for Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Studies. He begins his new role on Aug. 26.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Diego to The Huntington, where he will be responsible for overseeing two of the most important collecting areas in the Library,” said Vanessa Wilkie, the head of the Library curatorial department at The Huntington. “His expansive background in Spanish-language collections, his academic background, and his analytical and research skills all place him in a terrific position to help our many audiences become even more familiar with these important collections of books, manuscripts, maps, ephemera, and more.”
At Duke, Godoy has overseen and helped develop the library holdings pertaining to Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the U.S. Latino experience. He has been assisting students, faculty, and visiting researchers in their work as they mine the materials for new discoveries and insights. His research has further expanded the breadth and depth of the collections there. Before moving to Duke, Godoy served as graduate research assistant for the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas Libraries.
Godoy earned his B.S. in communication studies from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; his M.A. in history from Claremont Graduate University; and his Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of Texas at Austin, where he wrote a dissertation on mid-20th-century Mexican criminology, detection, and crime writing.
“The Huntington is a powerhouse institution and a great match for my interests and skills,” Godoy said. “The collections over which I’ll have responsibility are absolutely first-rate and wide-ranging, offering innumerable possibilities for research and interpretation. While I have been very closely focused on Hispanic materials in my other roles, I now get to work with California materials, something I’ve been quite eager to do. I am particularly interested in LA history and, more specifically, Mexican American media history and print culture. Suffice it to say, I am thoroughly humbled by the opportunity.”
At The Huntington, Godoy will work with researchers seeking to use the collections to advance their projects; he will also develop and curate special exhibitions, advise on new acquisitions, and secure loans. In addition, he will present public talks, develop special publications and digital content, and collaborate with other curators on a variety of projects, among other outreach activities.
The Huntington’s California and Hispanic collections comprise printed and manuscript materials, maps, and photographs; geographically they range from Europe’s Iberian Peninsula to the Americas and chronologically from the 15th century to the present. For the early periods, the collections focus on Spanish rule in California and Mexico. By the 20th century, the state of California and its diverse populations are the emphasis.
Resources from Spanish-governed Mexico and California shed light on the economy, religious life, Indigenous peoples, and the government’s role in the area. These include Mexican Inquisition records, letters and books of religious orders, mission records, and governmental administrative papers. Especially important are works on Native American languages.
Twentieth-century materials document political history ranging from the papers of conservative Catholic activist Pedro Villaseñor to those of pioneering LA politician Gloria Molina. Other collections from the era include the records of the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión and the papers of its owners, the Lozano family. Recent collecting activity centers on under-documented aspects of Mexican American history, such as the immigrant experience.
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About The Huntington
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a cultural and educational institution of global significance. Building on Henry E. and Arabella Huntington’s renowned collections, The Huntington supports research and promotes education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science through the growth and preservation of its collections; the development of a community of scholars, school programs, and partnerships; and the display and interpretation of its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences. The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Visitor information: huntington.org