Archiving the Civil War’s Text Messages
Sat., April 1, 2017 | Daniel Lewis
A massive crowdsourcing project is digitizing thousands of coded Union telegramsTo gain insights into the U.S. Civil War, The Huntington launched an innovative crowdsourcing project last year to transcribe and decipher a collection of telegrams
The Perfect Wedding Gift
Sat., April 1, 2017 | Catherine Hess
Two 15th-century panels from an Italian wedding chest tell a tale of passionate loveNewly married couples in 15th- and 16th-century Italy—like newlyweds today—could expect to receive a pile of wedding gifts. One of the most common gifts was a cassone, or big box...
A Passion for Cycads
Sat., April 1, 2017 | Usha Lee McFarling
Survivors from the dinosaur age, cycads continue to captivate collectors and researchersCycads are squat, woody, and branchless. They have no flowers, just spiky leaves that shred clothes and tear skin. They grow slowly, poison livestock and sometimes people.
Robert Frost at The Huntington
Sat., April 1, 2017 | Leslie Monsour
The famous poet paid an unheralded visit to the Library in 1932 to view his manuscriptsOn Oct. 8, 1923, P. K. Foley, a well-known Boston bookseller and bibliographer, wrote a letter to Robert O. Schad, Henry E. Huntington’s assistant curator of rare books.
Art
Women Making Art
Thu., March 30, 2017 | Huntington Staff
In 2016, The Huntington launched /five, a five-year contemporary arts initiative focused on creative collaboration. The plan? Each year, a different arts or cultural organization is selected to bring in artists to create works in response to The Huntington's library, art, and botanical collections in new and unforeseen ways.
News
Statement by the Board of Trustees of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Wed., March 29, 2017
Dr. Laura Skandera Trombley is the newest recipient of the Louis J. Budd Award, awarded for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Twain Scholarship. She will immediately commence her next book-length study of Mark Twain.
Lecture
A Recipe is More than a Recipe
Wed., March 29, 2017
Drawing on The Huntington's Anne M. Cranston American Regional and Charitable Cookbook Collection, food writer Patric Kuh discusses what these shared recipes can tell us, not just about food and community but about the changes that shaped the way Americans cook.
Lecture
Framing a New Elegance: The World of George T. Marsh and His Japanese House
Tue., March 28, 2017
Originally conceived by art dealer George T. Marsh as an exotic setting in which to sell curiosities, the building that in 1912 became The Huntington's Japanese House is a beautiful remnant of a transformational moment in design history.
Art
Autism Awareness at The Huntington
Mon., March 27, 2017 | Linda Chiavaroli
Children with autism react to sensory stimuli in very different ways. Some children on the autism spectrum are overly sensitive, while others are just the opposite. The Huntington offers a range of environments to suit any child's needs.
Lecture
Huang Ruo and Qian Yi
Fri., March 24, 2017
Composer Huang Ruo, the 2017 Cheng Family Visiting Artist at The Huntington, is joined by the acclaimed kun opera singer Qian Yi for an evening of discussion and performance. Together they explore the Chinese kun opera tradition and how Huang uses the form in his contemporary compositions.
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...
Lecture
Kate Sessions: A Legacy of Botanical Bounty
Mon., March 20, 2017
Landscape historian Nancy Carol Carter examines the horticultural legacy of Kate Sessions (1857–1940), the pioneering nursery owner and garden designer who left an indelible mark on the Southern California landscape.