Watch, Read, Listen

News, stories, features, videos and podcasts by The Huntington.

A Place at the Nayarit

Mon., May 16, 2022 | Natalia Molina

Natalia Molina grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park and spent evenings at the Mexican restaurant her mother owned, the Nayarit, a local landmark that her grandmother founded in 1951.

Videos and Recorded Programs

A gardener noticed a population of weevils living inside a few cycad cones growing on the property and knew it was a big deal. He showed them to one of The Huntington’s botanical researchers who kicked off a project this year to study how the weevils pollinate our Dioon cycads.

Verso

Is Shakespeare Still Relatable?

Tue., May 10, 2022 | Dympna Callaghan

Henry E. Huntington famously built a landmark collection of rare early editions of William Shakespeare’s plays and poems, which remain hugely important to scholars. But what about everyone else?

Videos and Recorded Programs

What is the Value of Historic Libraries? Looking Afresh at the Bridgewater Library, a Jewel in The Huntington Crown

Wed., May 4, 2022

David Pearson, former director of culture, heritage, and libraries for the City of London Corporation, looks afresh at the Bridgewater Library, informed by recent work on 17th-century private libraries more broadly, with a view to teasing out its cultural value today.

This is the Zeidberg Lecture in the History of the Book.

Verso

A Directory into the Past

Tue., May 3, 2022 | Li Wei Yang

Reconstructing the social and economic lives of Japanese Americans in Los Angeles in the early to mid-20th century requires a great deal of sleuthing in the archives. One such useful resource is the humble and often-overlooked city directory, which can reveal a great deal about the history of the region and its residents.

Videos and Recorded Programs

Why It Matters: Lonnie G. Bunch III in conversation with Karen R. Lawrence and Robert C. Davidson Jr.

Tue., April 26, 2022

Lonnie G. Bunch III, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, joins Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence and Huntington Governor Robert C. Davidson Jr. in a conversation about why museums and collecting institutions matter, what they have to offer to contemporary social and racial justice movements, and what it means to lead a museum in the current moment.

Celebrating The Huntington’s unparalleled opportunities for cross-disciplinary exploration of human culture and history, the Why It Matters series features Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence in conversation with distinguished guests about the enduring relevance of the humanities.

Verso

2022 Library Collectors’ Council Acquisitions

Tue., April 26, 2022 | Kevin Durkin

Five remarkable collections that tell vivid stories from the perspectives of a broad range of historical figures landed at The Huntington recently, courtesy of the Library Collectors’ Council, a group of Huntington supporters who help fund the purchase of new materials to add to the institution’s holdings.

Videos and Recorded Programs

Conversation: Nathan Wang and Lisa See on "On Gold Mountain"

Thu., April 21, 2022

Chinese American composer Nathan Wang, the 2022-23 Cheng Family Foundation Visiting Artist in the Chinese Garden, will introduce his remarkable career and the development of the opera “On Gold Mountain” in collaboration with renowned author Lisa See. The evening will feature highlights from the upcoming performance of “On Gold Mountain” by LA Opera at The Huntington.