Product Description
A legendary book collector, a connoisseur of fine art, a horticulturist, and a philanthropist, Henry Edwards Huntington is perhaps best known as the founder of the world-renowned Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. James Thorpe's comprehensive biography of Huntington tells the richly human story of the man who became America's greatest book collector and was a leading figure in the development of southern California.Henry Edwards Huntington was born in New York State in 1850.He began working at the age of 17, eventually moved to California, and in later years was hailed for his vision in developing the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area.Always a lover of books, Huntington acquired many spectacular volumesamong them the complete Gutenberg Bible on vellum and the library of the Earl of Bridgewater. He also built a splendid art collection and established a grand botanical garden on the grounds of the buildings that would house his art and books. Then, in an act of philanthropy seldom equaled, he gave these great treasures to the public.The intimate side of Huntington's life appears in these pages, too. Thorpe has culled a vast trove of private letters, diaries, and other documents that reveal Huntington's exceptional personal qualities. The author's well-rounded biography of this unassuming yet gifted American is also richly evocative of the times in which Henry Edwards Huntington lived. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid biography of a Gilded Age tycoon
Books about the famous American business tycoons is an acquired taste. The previous reviewer obviously does not have it for this is a very good biography. It covers the full range of Huntington's remarkable life in buisness, early California ( one of the best part of the book), art collecting, and his famous library.Thorpe has done excellent research and paints a wonderful picture of California in the early 20th century. What a time to have lived here !!In addition the author's portrayal of Huntington's awesome uncle Collis ( the creator of the family fortune) is very good.The photographs are also well chosen.Far from being bored, I could not put this book down.

Slow going
If you revere books and are an avowed bibliophile, then Henry Huntington is someone to admire and respect. His book collection is one of the premiere collections in the world, especially his concentration of incunabula. Huntington's mammoth collection is stored in the incomparable Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California - one of the most lovely places on earth. The permanent exhibitions include a first edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and numerous Shakespearian folios. Huntington's massive collection of autographs is also on display.

The story of how Huntington amassed these priceless treasures is fascinating: the amount of zeal and money he poured into this endeavor makes for a world class story. Unfortunately, this book doesn't focus enough on this aspect of his life. The narrative becomes slow, plodding and ultimately tedious. One wishes that Thorpe would have concentrated more completely on Huntington's mania for book collecting, a passion to be envied for those of us not blessed with being multi-millionaires. Instead he veers off into areas not particularly interesting, though his history of early 20th century California is exceptional.

Huntington's story is not one full of scintillating orgies, nor was he a riveting personal character, like Hearst. But this book paints a rather dour, boring picture of one of the greatest American collectors. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an engaging account of the eventful lives ofHenry Edwards and Arabella Huntington, leading twentieth-centuryphilanthropists, and the extraordinary cultural institution theycreated in Southern California. Henry Huntington was a legendary book,art, and plant collector and a visionary leader in the development ofSouthern California. Arabella was one of the wealthiest women in thenation at the turn of the twentieth century and one of the mostimportant art collectors of her generation. Spurgeon shares abehind-the-scenes view of both their personal lives and thedevelopment of the renowned cultural and educational center we knowtoday. Separate chapters describe how the art collections cametogether under the guidance of the shrewd art dealer Joseph Duveen;how the library grew out of Mr. Huntington's passion for bookcollecting; and how the estate, a working ranch, evolved into one ofthe world's most important botanical gardens. ... Read more

Product Description
Children's book author Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen introduces young readers and their parents to the Huntington, a former estate that now houses world-class collections of books, art, and plants. For kids who may never be able to visit the Huntington as well as those who will, this book offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the workings of a museum. Readers will also meet the owner of the estate, Henry E. Huntington, an early developer of Los Angeles, and learn something about daily life on what during Huntington's lifetime was a working ranch.
Thorne-Thomsen gives complete directions for activities ranging from designing a bookplate to making a leaf quilt to organizing a collection of family photographs. Kids will also learn about the different kinds of jobs needed to run an institution that has collections ranging from plants to paintings. Those who have been on museum field trips may know what a docent is, but they will also learn what curators and conservators do to make sure that treasures from the past will last for years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A trifle flat
Most people are drawn to Huntington because of the magnificent gardens in California, or they themselves are avowed bibliophiles. If you revere books and are a book lover, then Henry Huntington is someone to admire and respect. His book collection is one of the premiere collections in the world, especially his concentration of incunabula. Huntington's mammoth collection is stored in the incomparable Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California - one of the most lovely places on earth. The permanent exhibitions include a first edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and numerous Shakespearian folios. Huntington's massive collection of autographs is also on display.

The story of how Huntington amassed these priceless treasures is fascinating: the amount of zeal and money he poured into this endeavor makes for a world class story. Unfortunately, this book doesn't focus enough on this aspect of his life. The narrative becomes slow, plodding and ultimately tedious. One wishes that Thorpe would have concentrated more completely on Huntington's mania for book collecting, a passion to be envied for those of us not blessed with being multi-millionaires. Instead he veers off into areas not particularly interesting, though his history of early 20th century California is exceptional.

Huntington's story is not one full of scintillating orgies, nor was he a riveting personal character, like Hearst. But this book paints a rather dour, boring picture of one of the greatest American collectors. ... Read more

Product Description
Title: Catalogue of Rare Americana From the Library of Mr. Henry E. Huntington of New York. to Be SoldDecember 11, 1917the Anderson GalleriesNew YorkPublisher: [New York, D. Taylor ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: Lee and Shepard; Publication date: 1892; Subjects: Mysticism; Occult fiction; Juvenile Fiction / Horror ... Read more

Product Description
The Huntington in San Marino, California, is one of the world's foremost collections of books, art and flora. Set in park-like grounds and a Beaux-Arts mansion built in the early 1900s, the Huntington boasts some of the rarest and most valuable artifacts on Earth from the Gutenberg Bible on vellum, the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, Shakespeare's folios and more than a million other rare books, to great works of art including Gainsborough's "Blue Boy," Lawrence's "Pinkie," Mary Cassatt's "Breakfast in Bed" and John Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Pauline-Astor." Rolling lawns, color-splashed gardens abound; one might regard the Huntington as the closest place on Earth to Eden. Perhaps this is a manifestation of Henry Edward Huntington and his wife Arabella's love and interest in books and art; they were inveterate collectors who devoted much of their life and wealth to amassing these incomparable collections. Henry Huntington's story also encompasses the evolution of Los Angeles into a megapolis. His Pacific Electric Railway had 900 red and yellow trolley cars crisscrossing Southern California on more than 1,100 miles of track. He owned other street railway systems, railroads, vast swaths of real estate and sat on the boards of many of Los Angeles' and San Francisco's largest concerns. Award-winning author Daniel Alef's biographical profile of Henry E. Huntington is the story of a man who achieved great success, retained his moral compass and left a wonderful legacy, one he was determined to share with the public. [1,765-word Titans of Fortune article] ... Read more

Product Description
This Book Is In German. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1903.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1914.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: New York and London : Funk and Wagnalls company; Publication date: 1913; Subjects: Dangerously mentally ill; Mentally ill; History / General; Psychology / Mental Illness; Social Science / Criminology; ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Science / History; Science / General; ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more