The Huntington

The Huntington is located on 207 acres in San Marino, California. It is situated on the former site of the sprawling San Marino Ranch that was owned by businessman Henry E. Huntington from 1903 until his death in 1927. Now The Huntington is the site for the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and is managed by a non-profit organization.

Statues and fountains at the Huntington Garden

My husband and I had two hours to spend at the Huntington, so we each designed our own whirlwind tour. With limited time, I used the What to See page to plan mine. I honed in on the rare books in the Library Exhibition Hall; a fast view of Mary Cassatt's "Breakfast in Bed" (1897) in the American Art Gallery; and a brisk walk through the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden. Of course it's good to have a general plan, but then be prepared to be spontaneous if you discover something interesting.

The Huntington Library

I love books, so it was a treat to see the collection in the Library Exhibition Hall. Some of my favorites, relating to this blog, include The Birds of America: From Original Drawings by John James Audubon (1827-38);  A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes by Rembert Dodoens (1578); and a sampling of travel brochures and postcards designed to lure visitors to the West and California in the early twentieth century. (We learned a little about this early marketing strategy in History of Sunset Magazine). 

Life-sized illustrations of American birds by Audubon (1827-38)

Botanical drawings in A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes (1578)

I stopped briefly in the American Art Gallery to see "Breakfast in Bed". It was luminous and seemed to float in midair. I could have spent hours in the gallery to view beautiful paintings, installations, and artifacts. The warm golden lighting really enhances the art displays, and I never felt crowded, even with quite a few people in each room. It was difficult, but I tore myself away and stuck to my schedule – on to the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden!

Travel brochures promoted the West in the early 20th century

Statue of Diana at the Virginia Scott Steele Gallery

Henry and Arabella Huntington were devoted collectors of books, art, and plants, and had a vision for making their collections available for research, study, and enjoyment. One hundred years later, we are still reaping the benefits of their collections. We definitely need to return!

We parked in the Agave lot