Beaux Art/Classicism
In January 1903, Huntington bought San Marino Ranch for $225,000. He tore down the house and built a platial "Beaux-Arts-styled manor" with extended gardens and an enormous library to house his growing collection (Zeidberg, p. 9). The Beaux-Arts architecture was known to be type of design, or an architectural style that was taught the school named Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. This style was popular between 1885 and 1920. This type of architecture uses sculptural decoration with French and Italian designs. This style is also known as classicism, which is a form of Neoclassicism. The design is a combination of classical architecture from ancient Greece and Rome, combined with Renaissance ideas. There is order, symmetry, and elaborate decoration on the building. The buildings were known to be large and were mostly used for public buildings of importance, like museums, libraries, banks, courthouses, and government buildings (Craven, p. 1).
Although, most important buildings used the Beaux Art design, many houses that were elaborate used the same style. Many houses of the period were built between 1885 and 1925, were using this classical architectural design, such as the following house:
Before the library, the area was Huntington's mansion, which suggests that this was the type of design that houses were built during the early 19th century. This French and Italian design was a popular form of architecture, that many Californian architects used to build homes.
Neoclassical
First, Huntington invited an engineer named E.S. Code to build from a sketch of what he wanted the building to look like. Cole began building in a neoclassical style. The Neoclassical architecture are buildings that are modeled after the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. The features of the design of these buildings include:
- Symmetrical shape
- Tall columns that rise the full height of the building
- Triangular pediment
- Domed roof
- Balconies
- Columns
- Large arches
- Grand stairway
- Large arches
- Constructed with stone
Carnegie Library Design
Huntington's library design is
similar to the Carnegie library design. When the Carnegie libraries were built
they were designed in the Beaux-Arts style. This design was based off of the classical
elements of Greek and Roman architecture that was popular in Europe in the mid
to late 19th century. The Beaux-Arts style was taught in Paris,
France in the 19th century. Many American architects studied in Paris
because there were no true schools of architecture in the United States (Arsornata).
Therefore, many American architects borrowed ideas from European designs and
were influenced by the classical elements taught in French architectural schools.
Below are some Carnegie Library designs which represents the Neoclassical design
Layout
Library
The design of the buiding compliments the library's collection of rare books and manuscripts, artwork, and exotic plants. The library is a steeple for research, and its large size indicates that it is the most complete research library in the United States. The library is built to display artwork and exhibitions to the general public, and te large size accommodates the millions of people that visit each year. Today there are 6 million items that take turned being on display in the library. The design of the library also suggests that it is an important center for study and research. The library design represents the early Californian architectural design in the early 1900s. Although, the design mimicks European building structure, it suggests that there was influence from French architecture to be designed in the United States, by American Architects. Many of the artifacts in the Huntington collection include how Southern California developed, and the architecture is one example that represents the history of Southern California.
Today, there are many additions to the library structure, including the Munger Research Center. This center is 90,000 square feet, and is meant for scholars, staff, preservation, conservation, and storage.
Art Gallery
Before the Art Gallery, the space was part of the Huntington mansion. There are three separate galleries, which used to be bedrooms for the Huntington family. In the gallery, there is an extensive collection of 18th and 19th century British and French art, as well as American Art from 1690 to 1950. (Huntington Image)
Gardens
There are Botanical gardens that cover 120 acers of land. The gardens consist of Desert Garden, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, and the Chinese garden. Today, the garden provides children and families with exhibits. There is a Children's garden suitable for kids ages 2-7, and a garden conservatory for middle school children.
Roles of the Library
The Huntington library is extremely large, which shows that the library is available to house large amounts of people. There is a large amount of space in the library for many viewers to see the artwork, and library.
Inside
The purpose of the design was to
symbolize a person’s elevation by learning. The architecture is simple and
welcoming, with a large doorway for the entrance, and a large entry staircase leading up to the books and artwork. The design suggests that this is a facility for enlightenment and learning. In the photo is a picture of the inside of the Huntington library.
The Mausoleum is Greek temple built as a dedication to Huntington's wife Arabella, who died before him. It is made out of marble, and overlooks the gardens. The architect is John Russell Pope, who was a distinguished American architect. Pop believed in using the classic circular dome to represent eternal love that Huntington had for Arabella. Pope also designed the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. Huntington and Arebella are buried in the Mausoleum.
The Huntington building has two major functions 1.) It is a display of the the Beaux-Art mansion, which is considered one of the "Gilded Age Mansions of America" (Huntington) and 2.) it represents the lifestyle of the Huntington's. The building was also made to display major works of art for educational purposes.
Perisylar Loggia
The buildings most distinguished architectural feature is the perisylar loggia, which is a staircase that leads up to the upper level of the library. In the halls are framed pictures of Gainsborough, Romney, Reynolds, Van Dyck and many others. There are intricate details of Italian and Spanish renaissance styles, which are carved into the walls, as well.
The elements of the design are as follows:
- 55,000 square feet
- Italian and Spanish Renaissance tradition of country house architecture
- French tradition
- Represents early 20th century California architecture
- Considered an advanced country house architecture
The east-west hall is where the library is located, which was considered the private part of the house. This part of the house is the most elegant, which included drawing rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, sitting rooms, servants wing, and bathrooms. According to the Huntington website, these rooms were lost when the art gallery opened to the public in 1928, one year after Huntington's death (Huntington). Therefore, the bedrooms are now places for the art and furniture gallery.
On the first floor there is a small library, which was originally used as Huntington's den, where he conducted business with visitors. There was also a large library which was considered a reading room, where Huntington read books from his collection. The small and large drawing rooms were used for entertainment, and the walls were furnished with 18th century French and British art objects and portraits. A dining room was included and used for important functions, such as a dinner party.
The fact that Huntington creates a place that looks European in United States, California, suggests that he was trying to establish himself as a wealthy man, even though he received his wealth from new money. The image of the library, resembles building structures that would be found in Europe, in particular, France. Huntington was considered to be a millionaire, therefore, how would one display their riches or wealth to the public without a name? The design seems to be a reflection of how much Huntington was worth, a display of his wealth can be seen in the architecture design.Huntington's newly built house was a challenge to decorate, because it was built as a palace. Therefore, Huntington's first art purchase was five Beauvais tapestries that were previously owned by Louis XV, for $577,000. In addition to the tapestries, Huntington bought French furniture, silk carpets and paintings that were major works of art. This was a way for Huntington to show his wealth and status In addition, the library is providing materials from Europe and France, so the design is very complementary to the collection of rare manuscripts and printed books. Huntington collected many paintings, and to include them in a modern building would be distracting from the artwork. The library is set in its correct time period, the same period that much of the objects in the collection are dated.
Architects
The Huntington house was first designed by Cole, but redone by two Los Angeles architects named Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey. It was built during the years 1909 to 1911.
Myron Hunt
Myron Hunt was an American architect, who developed many landmarks in Southern California. In 1903, he moved to Los Angeles, and joined a partnership with another architect Elmer Grey. Together they designed houses and communities in Southern California in 1906. They developed large projects including: hospitals, schools, churches and hotels. Some of their larger plans includes:
- California Institute of Technology
- Occidental College in Eagle Rock
- Pomona College
- Mission Inn, in Riverside California
- Ambassador Hotel
- Henry Huntington's house in San Marino
- Rose Bowl
Elmer Grey
The American architect, Elmer Grey was an artist who lived in Pasadena, California. Grey is recognized as one of the pioneers in the new American architecture in the early He designed many landmarks in Southern California in addition to the Huntington Art Gallery:
- Beverly Hills Hotel
- Pasadena Playhouse
- Wattles Mansion
Together, Hunt and Grey, in 1911, designed the Huntington beaux-arts mansion, library, and Huntingon's garage, which was used for storing automobile, and were the living quarters for Huntington's staff. Today, the garage is used as an international exhibit space, known as The MaryLou and George Boone Gallery. The space is use to display materials from other museums and galleries from all over the world (Huntington).
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