The contents of each series are not mutually exclusive and thematic connections can be found throughout the whole collection. Due to the industrious nature of Henry E. Huntington’s life, his business and personal lives would often blend and become indistinguishable. For example: The first series of the collection is titled The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, but the institution is often a topic in several of the other series, especially the Correspondence series.
The notes and subjects in the finding aid come from descriptive materials written on folders by previous library staff while they were processing the collection. They are not meant to be a complete or comprehensive research guide.
"Co." and "Company" are used interchangeably throughout the collection. For example, if a reader is searching for the "Southern Pacific Co.," they may also want to search for the "Southern Pacific Company," and in some cases even just the "Southern Pacific." The same is true for the word "and" and the use of "&" in the corporate headings of Huntington's business papers and maps.
The Huntington Library is happy to announce that two more series of the Henry Edwards Huntington papers are now available for research. Series 3. Correspondence, 1794-1970 (bulk 1890-1927) and Series 4. Maps and blueprints, 1881-1960, are now searchable electronically for the first time. The Correspondence series consists of 84 boxes (35.03 linear feet) of personal and business correspondence of Henry E. Huntington. In addition to over 2,000 letters and telegrams between Henry E. Huntington and Collis P. Huntington, the series contains letters by many of Henry E. Huntington’s contemporaries such as George S. Patton, Jr., Sir Joseph Duveen, Max Farrand, Isaias W. Hellman, Myron Hunt, Andrew Mellon, John Russell Pope, William Hertrich, and many others. While much of the correspondence deals with businesses such as the Huntington Land and Improvement Company and the Southern Pacific Company, there is also a large amount of personal correspondence by Huntington family, including Arabella Huntington, Archer Huntington, Caroline Huntington Holladay, and Howard E. Huntington.
The Maps and blueprint series consists of 59 oversize folders and 12 oversize boxes (27.2 linear feet) of maps and blueprints. Most were used in Huntington’s businesses, including a subseries of maps used for the Huntington Land and Improvement Company, but the series also includes plans for the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles and the Huntington residence in San Marino, California.
As the collection is being re-processed, organization of previously consulted materials will have been updated. Readers are encouraged to consult the Huntington Library catalog and finding aid to locate materials they are newly discovering or returning to. See below for a list of Unprocessed materials, which will remain unavailable until completed.
The Business material series will include business records, financial records, cash books, ledgers, journals, deeds, and other miscellaneous materials dealing with Henry E. Huntington and Collis P. Huntington’s vast business enterprises and companies. Some of these will be the Huntington Land and Improvement Company, Southern Pacific Railroad Company, Pacific Electric Railway Company, Los Angeles Railway Company, Dolgeville Land Company, Huntington Redondo Company, Los Angeles Land Company, San Marino Land Company, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, San Marino Packing House, San Marino Ranch, Pacific Light and Power Company, Kentucky Central Railway Company, and Standard Felt Company. This series will comprise approximately 94.6 linear feet of boxes and volumes. This series will be further divided into subseries for each company, with the largest subseries being the Huntington Land and Improvement Company.
The Photograph series will include photographs, photograph albums, and scrapbooks. Although it is mainly made up of photographs of Henry E. Huntington, Arabella Huntington, Collis P. Huntington, and their immediate family, it also contains photographs of the Holladay, Metcalf, and Ord families. The collection additionally includes photographs of the Huntington residence, San Marino property, and The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. In total, this series is made up of 16 boxes, 8 volumes, and measures approximately 25 linear feet.
The Ephemera and objects series will include various awards, trophies, certificates given to Henry E. Huntington, as well as various printed material and objects owned by the family. The objects owned by the family range from artifacts, mementos, framed objects, silver cups, a glass and silver desk set, wallets, and photograph cases, to Huntington’s lunch box, razors, and traveling trunk. In total, this series measures to approximately 5 linear feet.