The Henry E. Huntington papers have never been fully processed nor included a comprehensive finding aid until now. Additionally, for seasoned readers of the Huntington papers, organization of previously consulted materials will have updated. Readers are encouraged to consult the Huntington Library catalog and finding aid to locate materials they are newly discovering or returning to. The reprocessing of these papers has made this collection much more accessible and organized for the public. The wider access to this collection will allow for new, creative ways to engage and discover the history of The Huntington and its founder.
This page describes the organization of the Henry E. Huntington papers to assist in navigating your research. The finding aid for this collection, as well as for most of the related collections, is available in the Online Archive of California. Other supplementary materials for this collection include audio files on the Internet Archive and images of the photo collection on the Huntington Digital Library.
The Henry E. Huntington papers currently consist of approximately 470 boxes, 1,060 volumes, and 100 other items (rolled items, oversize folders, individual items, and objects) which make up roughly 540 linear feet. The collection includes correspondence, business records, financial papers, photographs, photograph albums, scrapbooks, newspapers and clippings, ledgers, index cards, maps, field books, ephemera, and objects (including a trunk and lunch box that may have belonged to Henry Huntington). Additionally, the correspondence series contains over 22,000 items and makes up the first 198 boxes of the collection. For more information about the contents and arrangement of the collection, please refer to the "Scope and content" fields in the finding aid.
The Henry E. Huntington papers are currently broken down into four overarching series: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1879-1966, Henry E. Huntington and family, 1640-1984, bulk 1849-1977, Correspondence, 1835-1952, bulk 1890-1927, and Maps and blueprints, 1881-1960.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens series deals with the founding and history of The Huntington, and it is divided into five subseries:
Book bills and lists, 1892-1946
HEH Estate tax appeal case, 1927-1936
Newspaper clippings (photocopies), 1897-1949
Proposition 15 tax exemption, 1928-1931
Other, 1916-1966
The Henry E. Huntington and family series documents the life of Henry E. Huntington, the Huntington family and the Metcalf and Holladay families, from 1640 to 1984 (bulk 1849 to 1977). This series is further broken down into six subseries:
Biographical file and personal papers, 1640-1984
Estate and financial papers, 1885-1973
Lawsuits and legal papers, 1861-1950
Metcalf and Holladay families, 1768-1994, bulk 1881-1936
Newspapers and clippings, 1855-1975
Scrapbooks, 1870-1927
The Correspondence series consists of the personal and professional correspondence of Henry E. Huntington, Collis P. Huntington, and Arabella Huntington. The series also includes some material other than correspondence, such as documents, bank books, receipts, invoices, financial documents, printed material, clippings, and other ephemera. The correspondence deals with Henry E. Huntington's family, health, and many business ventures (railroads, land, shipbuilding), as well as his art, rare book, and manuscript collecting, the creation of the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and the estates of Collis P. Huntington and Arabella Huntington. This series is not further subdivided, and the finding aid list out all the correspondence alphabetically at the level of folder in each box
The Maps and blueprints series comprises of maps that chart locations Huntington had business interests in, as well as blueprints of his San Marino estate and railroad equipment, from 1881-1960. It is divided into two subseries, which are each further divided into categories based on the content and location presented in the materials:
Maps, 1881-1960
Los Angeles County maps, 1881-1960
California maps outside of Los Angeles County, 1895-1938
Maps outside of California, 1887-1938
Huntington Land and Improvement Company tract books, 1902-1954
Blueprints, 1900-1913
California - Plans for Huntington residence, 1908-1909
California - Plans for private residence, 1903
California - Plans for railroad equipment, 1900-1904
Plans for Pacific Electric building, 1902-1913