Arabella Duval Huntington

Since the spring of 2022 I have been researching the San Marino, California home of Henry E. and Arabella D. Huntington from an architectural conservation standpoint, investigating the character of the site as can be gleaned from the art and decorative collection that comprises The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Garden’s museum. Through this inverted character investigation, one can approximate a reconstruction of a person, as defined by the objects that they chose to collect.

In October 2022 I boarded a west-bound Amtrak train from Chicago to Los Angeles to begin researching Arabella’s biography as a self-funded independent scholar. What I found (and importantly, what I failed to find) has made this biographical endeavor far less objective than I had set out believing—and I’m guessing that’s exactly how it’s meant to be. As I continue to get to know Arabella, I am increasingly amazed by the presence that this woman wielded, and in many ways, continues to impress upon me.

What you’ll find here is certainly not representative of all the research that I’ve been doing, but scraps that will certainly be woven into the tapestry of Arabella’s story. I’m excited to share it with you. Until then!

In October 2023, Visualist interviewed me about my research. To read a bit more about this story in depth, click here.

Remembering Belle (Exhibition proposal)

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