THE HUNTINGTON

Description

Essentials about The Huntington in brief

People looking for an unusual combination of art, literature, and nature enjoyment should head to The Huntington. The “Huntingon Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Garden” (usually just named in short form) is an educational and research facility located in San Marino in North Los Angeles. It contains, in addition to an art collection, a significant library and a series of thematic gardens that are probably the most beautiful in all of LA. Visitors have railroad pioneer Henry E. Huntington and his wife Arabella Huntington to thank for this unique ensemble, in which one can easily spend an entire day, when they opened the facility in 1928.

The Huntington Library

The Huntington’s library is considered one of the most important private collections in the world. It contains approximately nine million works, including six million manuscripts, 375,000 rare books, and 500,000 photographs and negatives. The library is open to scholars and students for research purposes. Parts of the collection are also shown to the public in a permanent exhibition and in temporary exhibitions. Among the library’s most important pieces are the Ellesmere Manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales from the early 15th century and a copy of the Gutenberg Bible printed on parchment.

The Huntington Art Collection

The most important part of the art collection are the works of English portrait painting of the 18th century. The most famous paintings among them are The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough and Pinkie by Thomas Lawrence. The collection is housed in a gallery building added to the Huntingtons’ old private home in 1934. The Virginia Steele Scott Gallery of American Art in the west wing contains American paintings from 1730 to 1930.

The Huntington Gardens

Besides the art and literary treasures, however, the undisputed highlight of The Huntington for most visitors is the gardens. Spread over 120 acres, more than ten different themed gardens combine to create arguably the most beautiful green space in Los Angeles. The Desert Garden is filled with cacti and other succulents. The Shakespeare Garden transports strollers to a picturesque, historic English landscape. The Children’s Garden is a successful blend of education and entertainment. The Japanese Garden provides a magical oasis of tranquility and inner contemplation. And the Chinese Garden is a beautiful example of East Asian horticulture.