Henry Edwards Huntington : a biography / James Thorpe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thorpe, James, 1915-2009.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Huntington, Henry Edwards, 1850-1927.

Huntington, Henry Edwards.

Capitalists and financiers--United States--Biography.

Capitalists and financiers.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 623 p., [32] p. of plates ) ill. ;

Edition:

1 frontisp., Reprint 2020

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, c1994.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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 a man who became America's greatest book collector and was leading figure in the development of southern California. Henry Edwards Huntington was born in New York State in modest circumstances in 1850. He began working at the age of seventeen, 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 volumes - among 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 building 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 also appears in these pages. Thorpe has culled a vast trove of private letters, diaries, and other documents that reveal Huntington's exceptional personal qualities. While in many ways a study of character, Thorpe's well-rounded biography is also richly evocative of the times in which Henry Edwards Huntington lived.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

TO THE READER

ONE. GROWING UP IN ONEONTA 1850-1869

TWO. TOWARD INDEPENDENCE 1869-1873

THREE. TRIAL AND ERROR 1873-1881

FOUR. WORKING ON THE RAILROAD 1881-1885

FIVE. RUNNING A RAILROAD 1885-1892

SIX. GOING TO CALIFORNIA 1892-1894

SEVEN. BECOMING A CALIFORNIAN 1895-1900

EIGHT. UNCLE COLLIS 1900

NINE. ENDING THE PAST 1900-1906

TEN. BUSINESSMAN OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1900-1910

ELEVEN. HERO OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1900-1910

TWELVE. CHANGING DIRECTIONS 1903-1910

THIRTEEN. BEGINNING A NEW LIFE 1911-1914

FOURTEEN. ARABELLA 1852-1913

FIFTEEN. THE NEW LIFE: EASTERN DIVISION 1914-1919

SIXTEEN. THE NEW LIFE: WESTERN DIVISION 1914-1919

SEVENTEEN. LIVING THE NEW LIFE 1920-1924

EIGHTEEN. ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCLAIM 1920-1924

NINETEEN. THE DARK SIDE OF FAME 1920-1924

TWENTY. THE QUIET TIME 1924-1927

NOTES

PHOTOGRAPH SOURCES

INDEX

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 529-600) and index.

ISBN:

0-520-91366-3

0-585-23182-6