Clara Huntington correspondence, 1928-1935

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Summary

Creators:
Huntington, Clara, 1878-1965
Abstract:
Correspondence between Clara Huntington, Henry Huntington's oldest daughter, and George D. Hapgood, Henry Huntington's personal secretary, regarding her life as a struggling artist.
Extent:
1.25 Linear Feet (1 envelope)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clara Huntington correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Clara Huntington correspondence is primarily between Huntington and George D. Hapgood dating from 1928 to 1935. In these letters, Huntington describes the financial difficulties of being a struggling artist. She asks for Hapgood's assistance with selling her belongings such as pearls, lace, linens, and a mink coat to finance her career. Included is an undated photograph of Youth, a marble high relief sculpture.

Biographical / historical:

Clara Huntington was born in Oneonta, New York on February 2, 1878. Huntington was the daughter of Henry E. Huntington and Mary Alice Prentiss. After Clara's divorce from Gilbert Perkins in 1915, she decided to pursue a career in art. Her studies began in San Francisco, California in the 1890s. In the 1920s and 1930s, she studied sculpture at the San Francisco Art Institute, under Leo Lentelli in New York, and under Italy's official state sculptor Arturo Dazzi. She was a member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors and San Francisco Society of Women Artists. Her works include a bust of Henry E. Huntington, a statue of St. Francis, and a bas-relief entitled The Three Graces at Marlborough School in Los Angeles, California. George D. Hapgood was Henry E. Huntington's private secretary.

Acquisition information:
Provenance unknown, transferred from Huntington Institutional Archives, May 2019.
Processing information:

Processed by Gina C Giang in July 2019. In September 2023, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clara Huntington correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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