Beyond The H
A Deep Dive into Jack London’s Life
Mon., Sept. 19, 2016 | Linda Chiavaroli
Since the age of 10, filmmaker Ben Goldstein has been riveted by the life and writings of Jack London (1876–1916). His fascination with the author of The Call of the Wild and The Sea-Wolf has now spawned a feature-length documentary
Art
Chinese Poetry, Painting, and Gardens
Thu., Sept. 15, 2016 | Diana W. Thompson
Sometimes an object comes along that has so many ties to an institution's collecting areas, it's hard for curators to pass it up. That's what happened in 2014, when The Huntington acquired the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting
Conferences
Ben Jonson’s Works at 400
Mon., Sept. 12, 2016 | Martin Butler and Jane Rickard
The conference "Ben Jonson: 1616-2016" takes place at The Huntington on Sept. 16 and 17 in Rothenberg Hall. We asked the conference's conveners—Martin Butler, professor of English Renaissance Drama at the University of Leeds
Library
A Renaissance Curiosity
Fri., Sept. 9, 2016 | Tiffany Jo Werth
In J.K. Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a quick-thinking Harry saves his best friend's life by making him swallow a bezoar stone—a calcification from the stomach of a goat or other ruminant. Harry believed, as did many Renaissance doctors, that the stone served as a universal antidote...
Art
Pittman and Maltzan’s Visual Synergy
Tue., Sept. 6, 2016 | Diana W. Thompson
Visitors familiar with the exuberant, colorful, and graphically complex works of Los Angeles–based artist Lari Pittman know not to expect something conventional. His new exhibition, "Lari Pittman: Mood Books," open at The Huntington through Feb. 20, 2017, does not disappoint.
Audio
LISTEN>> Caring for a Collection
Thu., Sept. 1, 2016 | Corinne DeWitt
In a suite of audio posts, visiting journalist Corinne DeWitt heads into our three collecting areas—Library, Art, and Botanical—and meets up with staff to explore facets of the vast collections that are the core of The Huntington. This time around: Library.
Library
Edith Wharton’s Book of the Homeless
Mon., Aug. 29, 2016 | Sue Hodson
Few people know that Edith Wharton (1862–1937), the eminent American author, played a significant role in the war effort during World War I. Wharton lived in France for much of her life, and, appalled at the reluctance of the United States to enter the European struggle
Library
Ballads Galore
Thu., Aug. 25, 2016 | Kevin Durkin
The Summer 2016 Huntington Library Quarterly is a special issue devoted to English broadside ballads from the mid-16th to mid-18th centuries. That was the heyday of this wildly popular medium, which combined song lyrics, often about current events, with stylized woodcut
Botanical
Prized Succulents
Mon., Aug. 22, 2016 | Diana W. Thompson
The Huntington recently acquired a collection of rare succulents from the late Gerald Barad (1923–2016) of Flemington, New Jersey. Participants at the Philadelphia Flower Show knew Barad as the guy who cultivated the stunning cacti and other succulents
Library
Silver Bird
Thu., Aug. 18, 2016 | Asif Siddiqi
I'm a history professor doing research on how the detritus left behind by the space race informs the global circulation of knowledge in the modern era. One of the things I love about academic exploration is not knowing what I'll uncover.
Art
Seeing to It
Mon., Aug. 15, 2016 | Diana W. Thompson
Chicago-based collage artist Candace Hunter first started reading Octavia Butler's speculative fiction as an undergraduate. Themes from Butler's writing permeated Hunter's work through the years and reached a pinnacle with the opening this summer of her solo show
Art
A Pure Act of Painting
Wed., Aug. 10, 2016 | Chelsea Ngoc-Khuyen Trinh
As construction winds down in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, many works from The Huntington's permanent collection are once again on display. Among these works are a few new additions.