By Nancy Armitage
The H. E. Huntington’s “Edwards & Belle” Large Library was a formal gathering place for the Huntington Family. It was a room filled with great joy for Mr. H. E. & his wife, Arabella Huntington with all his dear books & manuscripts surrounding him. With a abundance of French Louis XV furniture to give Arabella great joy. The Large Library was a significant room in the Huntington Mansion, because it was the very beginning of what became the world-class Huntington Library in San Marino, California.
Between 1908-1910, Mr. Henry E. Huntington had built his Huntington Mansion on the San Marino Ranch; which is now the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Mr. Huntington hired Myron Hunt as his architect. At the time, Huntington was a divorced man (1906) from his 1st wife, Mary Alice Huntington, who he had 4 children, Howard, Clara, Elizabeth & Marian. It was in 1913, when Mr. H. E. Huntington married Mrs. Collis Huntington (Arabella).
Originally, Huntington had Myron Hunt design this Large Library to house his large book collection. Later, the Louis XV decor style was used, hugely influenced by Mrs. Collis P. Huntington (Arabella). A large purchase in Europe (by Arabella shopping with Sir Duveen) HEH was sent by telegram. The telegram read, that (5) 1755 Boucher French “Pastorale Series” tapestries will soon be delivered to the ranch. This purchase was paid by Mr. H. E. Huntington & but greatly changed his plans for his Large Library. These 4 beautiful French landscape tapestries were framed in the mansion’s library walls (2 of them were 147″long & 2 were 244″ long). They decorated a large portion (75%) of the Large Library; taking up space which had been intended for bookshelves. The 5th tapestry was hung outside the Large Library into the Huntington’s Long Main Hallway. When Mr. H. E. Huntington’s world class book collection got so large; he built an additional “Library Building” on the San Marino Ranch from 1919-1920. Located across the expansive lawn. At that time, there were over 100 employees hired by Mr. Huntington at the San Marino Ranch, near Pasadena, CA.
I like to imagine how the Huntington Mansion actually looked when the Huntingtons lived there. Through the Huntington Mansion brown inventory book, I found out what the Large Library looked like in their day. This inventory book was dated 1927, which is the year Mr. Henry E. Huntington died. Sir Joseph Duveen (the Huntington’s friend & art & antique dealer) was commissioned to help decorate the mansion’s rooms. I’m not sure the exact date, but most likely in 1912, when H. E. Huntington & Mrs. Collis Huntington (Arabella) were courting & it was decided they would get married in June of 1913 in Paris. Later, in 1913 the elegant Large Library room decorated for Mrs. H. E. Huntington (Arabella) to enjoy because she loved French furniture (Especially owned by King Louis XV & Queen Marie Antoinette). Document: HEH Coll HEH MS38/6 [Huntington Mansion Brown Inventory book- 1927 the year HEH died]
The Large Library was decorated in the elegant French Louis XV style with lovely romantic overtones. The room’s color palette was green & gold with a touch of blue. On the six large windows, hung 6 sets of heavy green satin curtains, surrounded by warm oak wood book shelves. In front of the fireplace lay an Oriental rug (16th Century Ispaham Persian rug) valued at $15,000.00 in 1927.
There was two very large, Louis XV tables with leather tops (6ft. 7″ long) were useful for Mr. Huntington when opening his large oversized books in his collection. One of the tables is described: “a large Louis XVI table bureau in amaranthus wood with old Louis XVI mounts, signed by P. Garnier, M. E. ; formerly in the collection of Comtesse de Terray & bought by Duveen Brothers, in November of 1911, then to Mr. Huntington. Also, he could have used these tables to open up large maps of the San Marino Ranch or the mansion’s Architect’s Blueprints, etc.
Mr. Huntington’s secretary, Mrs. Quigley at the Pacific Electric Railway Co. informs us in her interview that Mr. H. E. Huntington loved maps; a true “cartophile” he was. An original Tiffany lamp helped him to read & study his maps & treasured books. He enjoyed collecting 1st edition of classic rare books, which made them more valuable. Mr. Huntington had a habit of going to the Large Library at least once a day to look at his rare books, lithographs, prints, etc. (per the Head Butler, Mr. Alfonso Gomez.)
As large as the Huntington’s Large Library is, it sounds by the inventory of furniture, there were several seating areas created. In the French Salon style, there were two green satin sofas with cushions. Mrs. Huntington often chose a Damask like two-tone textural fabric. There were (3) oak, leather, & wicker library arm chairs with an oak library table with carved legs & a leather top that was 8ft . long. Mr. Huntington had a revolving chair, in the English Charles II style. Another seating area was made of 6 green & gilt chairs & 3 Vienna Bentwood chairs. There were (18) carved oak chairs (6 straight chairs & 12 armchairs- birch) covered in green satin for their “Entertainments” & for guests. Mr. & Mrs. H. E. “Edwards & Belle” Huntington hosted numerous parties like “Sundays at the Ranch”, Tea parties or “At-homes”, Garden Parties, also formal Luncheons & formal dinners for 12 people. Sometimes, 1 or twice a year, Mrs. Arabella Huntington would host a “Large Ladies Luncheon” (50 or more – I’m assuming ), she also hosted Bridge parties with luncheon served of 20 ladies.
There was an oval Louis XV table & stationery cabinet for writing letters. Mrs. Arabella Huntington was not fond of writing letters, thinking her handwriting was too messy. She employed her friend, Miss Caroline “Carrie” M. Campbell as her social secretary. Carrie was one of the Huntington’s entourage of employees & servants that traveled from Huntington mansion to mansion with the Huntingtons. Carrie would write letters for Mrs. Huntington, also she create handwritten dinner menus & wrote out guest names on place cards because she had beautiful handwriting.
Mr. Henry “Edwards” Huntington on the other hand was a prolific letter writer. While I was able to view his personal correspondence; I saw that most every letter he received, he responded to, in a quick & kind manner. Most of his personal letters were typed & had a carbon copy which is preserved & located in the Huntington Library archives. I really appreciated the way the curators have set up H.E. Huntington correspondence. in their blue folders. Often, I would find the letter to Mr. H. E. Huntington & the carbon copy of the letter he responded. It was always about 2 paragraphs long & very intimate. He was a thoughtful letter writer & answered the sender questions, loved talking about a new book or collection or flowers & trees blooming on his beloved Ranch. Often, Mr. Huntington’s personal secretary, Geo. Hapgood, (after 1918), would type up letters in response for Mr. H.E. Huntington, probably dictated & sent off in the mail. Often people would request to Mr. Huntington to view the “Blue Boy” & often he would grant their wish. Often, Hapgood would ask these people to visit the Huntington Mansion on the ranch about 2:00 pm. in the afternoon, when it is especially beautiful. Maybe he invited them in for a cup of tea also.
Before Mr. Huntington married Mrs. Arabella Huntington he hired a confidential secretary, Mr. Robert Varnum from July 1911 to April 1912 – Summer of 1915, unclear dates. Varnum & his wife, Catherine, were lucky enough to be invited to go abroad on a ship to Europe with the Huntingtons, also. About 1916, I’m not sure, Mr. Varnum got fired by Mr. H.E. Huntington for offending Mrs. Arabella Huntington. I noticed in Varnum letters written for Mr. Huntington, Varnum was often sassy & demanding. That was not Mr. H. E. Huntington’s style at all. Mr. Varnum tried to sue Mr. H.E. Huntington. I don’t think that went well for Mr. Varnum.
Mr. H.E. Huntington & Mrs. Arabella Huntington both in their numerous mansions had very loyal employees. People that worked for them stayed for decades, the Huntington’s were so kind & generous to their staff in all of their mansions. This was the only Huntington employee I saw in all of Mr. H. E. Huntington’s papers & ledgers that got fired. Document: Varnum information from NY Times newspaper article dated March 26, 1916, mentions he was still working for Mr. H.E. Huntington in Summer of 1915.
Mr. H. E. Huntington’s letters (1920’s) were always short & sweet in one & two paragraphs, usually typed by HEH or Mr. George Hapgood, HEH’s social secretary (1917-1927). I think Mr. Huntington most-likely typed his letters in the Small-Library or what was sometimes called “The Office”( per the Head Butler, Alfonso Gomez). Mr. Huntington also had a additional desk (Oak roll-top desk), in the San Marino Ranch office, which he shared with Mr. Hertrich (the Superintendent of the Huntington’s Ranch & his Head Gardener). The ranch office (s) was located east of the Library Building & north of the Greenhouses (where the “1919” restaurant is now).
On the fireplace mantle was a beatiful French Louis XV Clock, Philiberts, decorated with two marble groups, Venus & Cupid. Large vases were placed on either side: 2 Chinese vases, very tall 50″ high & 2 vases by Clodion. In the Huntington’s day at this mansion, there would have been beautiful fragrant roses & flowers everywhere in this room. Always fresh flowers from the Ranch’s rose garden and Mrs. Huntington’s flower garden (located west of the Huntington tea room). Mrs. Huntington love fragrant roses & flowers especially pink & white. An impressive description tells the Royal French history of the Clodion vases: 2 marble vases by Clodion (1782) bought by Seligmann on Sept. 5, 1912 Paris Collection; late Baron Adolphe de Rothschild in Pregny (Switzerland). The vases were made for the Chateau de Versailles & they are known as the “Chef d’oeuvre of the Master.” The vases had an antique shape with sides that were two heads of rams & vine branches & medallions 3-4 personages, nymphs, & satyrs erecting a statue to god Pam, & signed & dated fauna & fauness pipe teaching children how to dance.
At the Huntington’s Large Library’s fireplace, 2 bronze gold “fire dogs” in the shape of figures of women, graced this romantic room. A beautiful tapestry French fireplace screen (48″ high & 51″ long) sat in front of the Huntington’s hearth. A gold bronze fire set & rack were used often by the servants to make the Huntington’s a roaring hot fire. It gets chilly (30-40*) enough to light daily fires in Southern California. The Huntingtons resided in the mansion on San Marino Ranch between the winter months from January to about the end of May, probably to get out of the snow and cold in NYC.
Mrs. Arabella Huntington loved large profusions of colorful flowers from their Rose Garden & hot-houses on the estate. Some of these colorful arrangements had 150-200 flowers in enormous vases. There were over 100 fine bone china & porcelain vases (from every culture around the world) stored in the East & West Hall Closets & in upstairs closets, also. There were also several more sets of vases in the Large Library: Another set of (2) Blue Grosbleu decorated vases lion heads each 18″high French Louis XIV.
The Large Library is where Mr. & Mrs. H. E. Huntington greeted their guests. The all guests “were announced” by the 1st Butler: Angus McGillvary (Scottish) or 2nd Butler: Alfonso Gomez (Spanish) he then became the 1st butler later. Even the Huntington’s grand children had to be announced formally by the Head butler, before they entered the Huntington’s Large Library, (per HEH’s granddaughter, Margaret Huntington).
After the Huntington’s & their guests enjoyed dining on a multi-course dinner in the formal Dining-Room, they would retire to the Large Library or the large Drawing-Room. Sometimes, the men would go to the Billiard’s Room/Bowling Alley for a cigar & a brandy, because Mrs. Huntington didn’t like the smell of cigars in the house. The women after dinner might have retired in the Large Drawing-Room or Large Library for cordials (Curacao or Crème de Menthe) & French Bon-bons (Chocolate truffles). Then the men & women would reconvene in the Large Library or Drawing-Room for a entertainment. The Huntington’s “entertainment” could be a concert, a reading from one of Mr. Huntington’s new book purchases, a lecture, a tea reception, or to play bridge.
The Large Library also was used as a “Music Room” with a Steinway Concert Grand piano. The piano was often played by Mr. Huntington’s sister, Carrie Huntington Holladay & also HEH’s daughter-in-law, Mrs. Howard Huntington (Leslie). Mrs. Arabella Huntington loved classical music & the opera & listening to the piano. Mrs. Huntington was also a very good singer herself. Sometimes, she would hire a string quartet, a celloist, a violinist, or singers to entertain her guests (per Leslie Huntington).
There were also other forms of Entertainment like reciting passages of a book or poam, singing, telling stories or listening to the radio. The Huntington’s had an ” 8-Tube “Radiola 30″ Superhetrodyne American Radio” in a beautiful mahogany case. Mr. Huntington & his family would listen to the President of the United States (State of the Union speech) or music or stories on the radio. Mr. Huntington when he thought a passage in a book was thought-provoking, he would read it out loud to his family, per his brother-in-law, E. Burke Holladay.
The Huntingtons’ “Belle & Edwards” were avid card players & favorite game was hearts, whist, & auction bridge. Also, Mr. Huntington loved dominos, he played on a marquetry (inlaid wood) card table; which was a small table with a folding top. If more quests chose to play, they could also add another small table that was gilded in gold & adorned with small gilded winged figures. In a letter to HEH from his sister, Carrie Huntington Holladay, she writes to him encouraging him to feel better: “I shall be truly happy when I see you again, seated in your own library, in front of your card table, dominoes spread out, snorting at long waists & short hair… written in October of 1926.
In the article, “The Founder & His Library” in the book The Founding of the Henry E. Huntington Library & Art Gallery informs us that indeed Mr. Huntington himself was rich in knowledge of his fine & rare books: “Mr. Huntington read in the Library-Room…this tall, erect, portly master of the house, with his bald dome & fastidiously trimmed mustache, spent every afternoon in that room working on his books. He clambered up & down the [library] ladder in search of the volumes he wanted, & he strenuously objected to being “disturbed while he was reading: as a result few people were aware of the extent of his knowledge of the insides of his books”
Mrs. Arabella Huntington adored afternoon tea sometimes called “5 o’clock tea” in the early 1900’s. She would served “Tea & Cakes” & goodies either in the Large Library or the Huntington Drawing-Rooms. The Huntington’s Butler could easily set up a lovely tea for Mrs. Huntington on the long French desks or tables. There was a nest of 4 mahogany stands provided for the guests to put their teacups & saucers down. Per Leslie Huntington (HEH’s daughter-in-law) there was luncheon & tea in the afternoon almost every day with Leslie & Arabella, when Mrs. Arabella Huntington was “In-Residence” at the San Marino Ranch. If the guest list for tea was a larger number, the tea was probably be served “Buffet-Style” in the Huntington’s Dining-Room with a samovar to keep the tea hot & silver trays of tea sandwiches, scones & petit dessert cakes, & pastries. Then the guests would walk back to the Large Library & enjoy their tea & treats.
Sometime in the 1920’s, Mr. H. E. Huntington hosted his grand daughter’s Margaret Huntington, “Graduation Tea ” (she was one of Howard & Leslie Huntington’s children). This Tea was given in June for Margaret & all her classmates. They were graduating from the 8th Grade from California Poly Tech in Pasadena, CA . One of the young guests, Mildred E. Godfrey, wrote (to the Huntington Library archive) that “Mr. Huntington very thoughtfully invited the class to tea in the library of his home & then allowed us to go through the Library, which was not yet open to the public”. In 1925, Mr. Huntington actually hosted a one day event & he played “incognito” just to see people’s reaction to all of his numerous collections. Then after he died in 1927, the Huntington Library was opened up to the public, as his wishes were stated in his will.
Documents: all documents found at the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
HEH Coll. MS 36/6 [Huntington Mansion Inventory Book]
HEH Coll MS 19/4 uncat (letter to Mr. Carpenter from Mildred E. Godfrey, one of Miss Margaret Huntington Cal Poly classmate, a HEH invitation to tea)
Letters to Duveen from HEH about playing hearts;
HEH Coll. MS Correspondence Oct 30, 1926 (Carrie Holladay letter to HEH)
HEH Coll MS 10968 (E. Burke Holladay Journals, HEH’s brother-in-law)
Inside the Huntington's Story 