Christopher Isherwood was born in England in 1904, came to the U.S. in 1939 and lived in Santa Monica from then until his death in 1986. He is probably best known for The Berlin Stories, stories that fictionalize his life in pre-World War II Berlin and that were adapted as the stage play I Am a Camera and the popular musical Cabaret.

The Huntington Library made headlines in May of 1999 with the announcement of the acquisition of Christopher Isherwood's complete archive, received from Don Bachardy. The collection contains literary drafts, diaries and journals, photographs, audio and videotapes, and letters from many authors, including W. H. Auden, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, Somerset Maugham, Stephen Spender, Gore Vidal and Tennessee Williams.

The collection has been processed and cataloged and is available for scholarly research. Qualified scholars with a specific research project involving this archive may contact the Curator of the collection, Sara S. Hodson for further information.

On December 2, 2000, the first symposium was held, entitled “Christopher Isherwood: Private Faces.”   Through personal reminiscence, photographs, diaries, and scholarly analysis, the conference illuminated Isherwood’s private identity and its relation to his public works. Participants included: Don Bachardy, Christopher Hitchens, Peter Parker, Katherine Bucknell, Edward Mendelson, Edmund White, and Humphrey Spender.

The Huntington tentatively plans to hold another symposium in 2005.

Isherwood Exhibition

This summer, the Huntington will mount a major exhibition in celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Chistopher Isherwood's birth. Entitled "Christopher Isherwood: A Writer and His World," the exhibition will open on June 12 and close on October 3, 2004.