Huntington Verso

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

Botanical

A Fruitful Perspective

Tue., Aug. 10, 2021 | Sean C. Lahmeyer
Soon after Henry E. Huntington purchased the San Marino Ranch (formerly owned by James DeBarth Shorb) in 1903, he learned that many agricultural crops—such as avocados, peaches, and nuts—could be grown on the property.
Exhibitions

What Now, Part 2

Wed., July 28, 2021 | Manuela Gomez Rhine
Several of the objects on display in the upcoming exhibition, “What Now: Collecting for the Library in the 21st Century, Part 2,” provide windows into The Huntington’s array of collections that support important research interests.
Library

The Monster in the Mirror

Wed., July 7, 2021 | Sara K. Austin
What sparks the lightning bolt of insight? How do we come to see with new eyes? Literature can expose us to perspectives strange to us, but our interpretations can also be clouded by familiarity.
Library

Extraordinary Expenses

Wed., June 23, 2021 | Olga Tsapina
In March 1852, Charles Devens, the United States Marshal for Massachusetts, submitted an expense report
Art

Queer Artist, Queer Courage

Wed., June 16, 2021 | Manuela Gomez Rhine
Harriet Goodhue Hosmer (1830-1908) unapologetically pursued her ambitions as a sculptor in a field considered inappropriate for women and lived openly as a lesbian
Library

A Walk on the Wilde Side

Wed., June 9, 2021 | Natalie Russell
Born in Dublin and named for Irish folk heroes, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854–1900) became a cultural hero in his own right
Botanical

Bless This House

Wed., June 2, 2021 | Lisa Blackburn
Offerings of fruit, rice cakes, fish, and wine; humble gifts of pine sprigs; scatterings of salt; rhythmic chants; and a taiko drum’s deep resonant tones soaring skyward to invoke the spirits. These were some of the sights and sounds of the jotoshiki, a Shinto roof-raising ceremony
Botanical

A Rose for Our Times

Wed., May 5, 2021 | Lisa Blackburn
Experts on nomenclature—from Madison Avenue marketing executives to the parents of newborn babies—have long believed that choosing the right name can make all the difference.
Library

Finding Clues Left by Langston Hughes

Thu., April 22, 2021 | Natalie Russell
Archives are full of mysteries. Many manuscripts are undated. Often letters are addressed to first names and signed with initials. Accurately identifying and describing an item can be a research project all on its own.
Exhibitions

“Made in L.A. 2020: a version” Considers The Huntington’s Collections

Mon., April 19, 2021 | George Sanchez
Featuring the work of 30 emerging and under-recognized artists from the greater Los Angeles area, "Made in L.A. 2020: a version" presents mirroring exhibitions at the Hammer Museum and The Huntington—as well as at local sites like barbershops and hospital waiting rooms.
Conferences

“This reading of Books is a pernicious thing”

Tue., April 13, 2021 | Elaine Hob
In 1984, The Huntington organized and hosted the first of a series of meetings of local feminists. As a brochure in the Library’s archives explains, these seminars, scheduled to take place five times a year, aimed to “further academic research on material by and about women
Art

Connecting with Mary Cassatt’s Pastels

Wed., March 10, 2021 | Lily Allen
Michelangelo and marble. Andy Warhol and silk screen. Yoko Ono and performance. Some artists have strong associations with specific mediums.