Huntington Verso

The blog of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

How Enslaved African American Potters Gave Shape to Their Lives

Tue., June 18, 2024 | Lauren Cross
The works of enslaved and freed African American potters in the Edgefield District of South Carolina serve as both personal records of the brutality of slavery and creative acts of resistance.

Celebrating Peak Pollinator Season

Tue., June 11, 2024 | Sandy Masuo
With the arrival of peak bloom season, The Huntington’s gardens attract pollinators as diverse and delightful as the plants they visit. Although many animals perform this role, nature’s preeminent pollinators are insects. Now is a great time to watch them at work.

Florence Yoch and Lucile Council: Landscape Architects, Life Partners

Tue., June 4, 2024 | Erin Chase
Partners both in business and in life, Yoch and Council completed more than 250 landscape commissions over a period of roughly four decades—projects that included landmark public gardens and private gardens for Hollywood elites.

Welcoming the 2024–25 Huntington Research Fellows

Tue., May 28, 2024 | Susan Juster
The Huntington has awarded long-term research fellowships to 13 individuals who will be in residence for the full academic year and 120 short-term fellowships, as well as six travel grants for study in the U.K., Mexico, and Peru, and eight exchange fellowships to sister institutions in the U.K. and Ireland.

Octavia E. Butler in Community, Then and Now

Tue., May 21, 2024 | andré carrington
Octavia E. Butler was one of the foremost writers of speculative fiction. Her work and the story of her life compel us to reckon with power, leadership, creativity, human relationships, and the unknown possibilities that await us in the stars.

Sargent Claude Johnson and Louis Braille

Tue., May 14, 2024 | Susan Turner-Lowe
California artist Sargent Claude Johnson’s wood carving of Louis Braille and students provides a throughline into the artist’s work, the California School for the Blind, and two tactile opportunities for visitors to the exhibition.

The Sweet Success of Phoenix Bakery

Tue., May 7, 2024 | Li Wei Yang
For 86 years, Phoenix Bakery’s confections have been featured in the celebrations of countless birthday parties, weddings, and other festive occasions. The bakery’s historical archive at The Huntington offers scholars insight into the formative years of Los Angeles’ New Chinatown and chronicles the bakery’s impact.

A Conversation with Carol T. Christ

Tue., April 30, 2024 | Sandy Masuo
The importance of empathy and the power of language were recurring themes in a wide-ranging conversation between Carol Christ, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and Huntington President Karen Lawrence. Topics addressed included the Pac-12 collegiate athletic conference, the impact of digital technology on education, and free speech.

Library Collectors’ Council Acquisitions for 2024

Tue., April 23, 2024 | Kevin Durkin
The Huntington has acquired six extraordinary collections through the generosity of the Library Collectors’ Council, a group of supporters who help fund the purchase of new items to add to the Library’s holdings.

Interactive Guide Puts Birds on the Map

Tue., April 16, 2024 | Sandy Masuo
Inspired by the dazzling array of birds that add beauty and wonder throughout the Huntington gardens, staff member Harrison Hyatt created an interactive map that highlights commonly seen bird species and some of the plants they frequent. His goal is to enhance the Huntington experience by fostering connections with wildlife.

New Perspectives on Early Encounters between China and the West

Tue., April 9, 2024 | Tonio Andrade
Historians long thought the Qing dynasty was arrogant, xenophobic, and closed to the world. If it had been more open, they argued, China would have been able to counter the Western advance. Recently, however, scholars have shown that the Qing were far more cosmopolitan, open, and connected than once believed.

Eve Babitz, Collage Artist

Tue., March 19, 2024 | Sarah Francis
Before Eve Babitz became a published writer, she was a visual artist, and her chosen medium was collage. Inspired by Joseph Cornell and Andy Warhol, she created the album cover art for Buffalo Springfield’s “Buffalo Springfield Again” and The Byrds’ “Untitled.”