Collection of Henry E. Huntington Family, Residence and Estate photographs, approximately 1890s-approximately 1930

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Summary

Abstract:
This collection contains photographs of Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927) and his family in New York and California, as well as early photographs of the Huntington residence and estate in San Marino, California, and the private railroad cars of the Huntington family.
Extent:
327 photographs and 1 album in 8 boxes : albumen prints, gelatin silver prints, photographic copy prints, autochromes ; images chiefly 20 x 25 cm or smaller + 1 drawing
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains photographs of Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927) and his family in New York and California, as well as early photographs of the Huntington residence and estate in San Marino, California, and the private railroad cars of the Huntington family.

The family photographs are primarily portraits of Henry E. Huntington, his parents, uncle (Collis P. Huntington), spouses, children and grandchildren. Many views are late-19th century cabinet cards and presentation prints in sleeves with imprints of photographers in San Francisco and New York. Also notable are two autochrome portraits of Henry E. Huntington by Arnold Genthe, 1916; a framed crayon drawing after a photograph of Henry as a young boy, and a framed portrait of Collis P. Huntington, approximately 1900. Photographers represented in the collection include P. R. Young, Theodore C. Marceau, Pach Brothers, James M. Landy, Arnold Genthe, Isaiah West Taber, Carleton E. Watkins, Rieman and Co., W. E. Dassom, Charles Freiot, Robert E. Tener, and George Steckel.

This collection also includes views of Collis P. and Henry E. Huntington's private railroad cars – the Alabama, Oneonta, and San Marino – accompanied by a file of related correspondence, clippings and a blueprint of the floor plan of H. E. Huntington's Pullman car, 1916.

The final portion of this collection consists of early scenes of the Huntington estate in San Marino: the building of the Huntington residence (now The Huntington Art Gallery), 1908-1910; a group portrait of workers; and a leather-bound photograph album of 63 views of the Huntington residence, gardens, grounds and statues, approximately 1925; Henry E. Huntington appears in several photographs, posed on the grounds.

There are copy negatives on file for some images.

Acquisition information:

Acquired from various sources. Photograph album, gift of George Davis Hapgood, 1936 Folders 1-9, majority of photographs, gift of Edwards Huntington Metcalf, 1984-1985 Folder 9 (1-3, 8), gift of Lucius Beebe, 1958 Folder 9 (4-7), gift of John H. White Jr., 1983 Folder 9 (9-10), gift of Donald Duke, 1964 Folder 10 (1-169), gift of William Hertrich, 1960 Folder 10 (166-169), gift of Ralph R. Rule Autochrome (32), purchased from Walter Miller, 2007

George Davis Hapgood (died 1938), the donor of the photograph album, was Henry E. Huntington's private secretary in New York and came to California in the same capacity. Edwards "Ned" Huntington Metcalf (1911-2001), Henry E. Huntington's grandson, donated the majority of the family photographs . William Hertrich, the Huntington's first superintendent of buildings and grounds, photographed many of the images and donated photographs of the construction of the Huntington mansion.

Arrangement:

The photographs are arranged in 7 boxes:

  • Box 1 (Folders 1-2): Henry E. Huntington; Mary Alice Prentice Huntington [including with family]
  • Box 2 (Folders 3-8): Collis P. Huntington; Arabella Huntington; Solon Huntington and Harriet Saunders Huntington; Clara Hatzfeldt; children and grandchildren of Henry E. Huntington
  • Box 3 (Folders 9-10): Private railcars of Collis P. and Henry E. Huntington; Huntington residence under construction, 1908-1910
  • Box 4: Photograph album of Huntington residence, gardens, grounds and statues, approximately 1925
  • Box 5: Henry E. Huntington as a child, framed portrait, approximately 1900
  • Box 6: Autochromes of Henry E. Huntington, 1916
  • Box 7: Collis P. Huntington, framed portrait, approximately 1900
  • Box 8: Autochromes of Henry E. Huntington and bookcases in his New York library, 1916

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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