Art
Illustrating Poverty and Prisons
Wed., March 22, 2017 | Courtney Skipton
In 19th-century Britain, the mere fact of being poor could land you in prison—debtors' prison, that is. The history of British prisons and how artists and architects documented the social, political, and legal tensions surrounding prison reform are the main themes of a focused exhibition in the Huntington Art Gallery's...
Library
An Ingeniously Printed Book of Songs
Thu., March 16, 2017 | Andrew R. Walkling
Examining a real book up close can tell us things that a microfilmed or black-and-white online image of the object doesn't show. Scholars often discover interesting information by inspecting a book's watermarks, paper stocks, or bindings.
Library
Bill and Ned’s Excellent Adventures
Mon., March 13, 2017 | Xiaoda Wang
I've been tracking two people in the archives of the Huntington Library whose careers reveal surprising parallels. One is William Wordsworth, the Romantic-era Lake District poet who made a career of dancing among daffodils and touring the rural reaches of late 18th-century England.
Art
#5WomenArtists in the American Collections
Wed., March 8, 2017 | Diana W. Thompson
The history of art is peppered with tales of women artists who struggled to gain the same recognition as men. To shine a light on women’s artistic bounty, the National Museum of Women in the Arts kicked off a social media campaign last March to honor Women’s History Month.
Uncategorized
Kevin Starr Lives on at The Huntington
Thu., March 2, 2017 | William Deverell
At the dedication of The Huntington's Munger Research Center in 2004, California historian Kevin Starr (1940–2017), who died in January, said, "Southern California contemplates itself, defines itself, brings itself to further identity through a variety of agencies and instruments
Art
Instagram Takeover with James Fishburne
Mon., Feb. 27, 2017 | Kate Lain
Last Thursday, we let art historian James Fishburne—guest curator of "A History of Whiskers: Facial Hair and Identity in European and American Art, 1750–1920"—run The Huntington's Instagram account for the day. In a nod to the exhibition, which is on view for just one more week, James spent the day...
Botanical
Two Gifts from Master Bonsai Artists
Thu., Feb. 23, 2017 | Ted Matson
One of the most iconic images of California is the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia). With its rugged trunk, twisting branches, and broad canopy, it adds both power and grace to our native landscape. We're fortunate to have more than 200 coast live oaks on The Huntington property. We also...
Library
Frederick Douglass, Celebrity
Mon., Feb. 20, 2017 | Olga Tsapina
By the time of his death on Feb. 20, 1895, Frederick Douglass had become one of the most celebrated personalities in the United States. Born a slave in Maryland around 1818, he escaped to New York in 1838
Events
Still Time to Color Our Collections
Thu., Feb. 16, 2017 | Kate Lain
Even if you missed the chance last week to participate in #ColorOurCollections, a coloring extravaganza organized by The New York Academy of Medicine Library, there's still time to join in the fun.
Audio
Recent Lectures: Jan. 9–Feb. 8, 2017
Mon., Feb. 13, 2017 | Huntington Staff
Home to gorgeous gardens, spectacular art, and stunning rare books and manuscripts, The Huntington also offers an impressive slate of lectures and conferences on topics and themes related to its collections. Featured are audio recordings of five recent lectures and conversations.
Botanical
Caring for Camellias
Wed., Feb. 8, 2017 | Diana W. Thompson
The eastern side of the North Vista contains some of The Huntington's oldest and most precious cultivars of camellia. William Hertrich, Henry Huntington's superintendent of the gardens from 1903 to 1948, had a passion for the flowering plant
Beyond The H
Finding Molokai
Mon., Jan. 30, 2017 | Jennifer A. Watts
At daybreak on a steamy morning last August, my husband dropped me off at the Kalaupapa trailhead on the north shore of Molokai and waved goodbye.