The Washington herald., 1922-11-19

" most potentially beautiful, inspir-
Wv ing gift ever made by an indi-
vidual to a people is the Henry E. Hunt
fngton Foundation, at San Marino, sub
urb of Los Angeles, in Southern Cali
fornia.
Mr.. Huntington, discussing his aims in
connection with his Foundation, said to a
representative of this newspaper:
,@"I am firmly convinced that the region
greatest art centre in the world. 1t has
an unrivalled climate and an exquisite at
nosphere that offers the greatest attrac-
tion to artists. | am told that there is
only one part of the world that compares
with It in point of atmosphere, and that is
along me southern shore of Greece.
a expect to see fourishing colonies of
artists in Southern California larger than
any that exist in the most picturesque
parts of France and Italy. The interest
ing old missions and other relics of the
Spanish period would be picturesque CEN
tres for artistic communities, but equally
picturesque and healthier art villages
could be built on the lower slopes of the
mountains. All this art life will find my
collections of benefit.
For the present expect my library to
be an encouragement to scholarship in
Southern California. 1t will offer excep-
tional opportunities for historical study
and to special students in various lines. 1t
will give facilities for printing fac-simile
editions, and this in turn should promote
high class book publishing generally in its
sphere of influence
By some authorities the Foundation has
been termed the most outstanding cul-
tural endowment of the century"
The reasons for this estimate are:
4 library in point of quality and in
value to scholars, literary men, research
delivers, the equal of any in the world;
library that in essentials equals and in
some details oxcpls that of the British
Museum.
A collection Of paintings, perhaps not as
large as that of the London National Gal
lery, but consisting Of none but the very
best examples of English artists; collec-
tion which does not contain one mediocre
picture: a collection of which the best
authority in the country has said:
"If were asked to accept the English
pictures in the London National Gallery
in place of the Huntngtc / collection,
think | would prefer the Huntington col
lection"
For this collection contains nothing that
is not a masters masterpiece.
Associated with the pictures is a vast
collection Of bronzcS. porcelains, all man.
ner of objets dart, tapestries (the nine
Boucher GobelnS hangings), works of
modern and antique pre-eminence.
Then to the library and the art collec-
oil 1G0 Of hot Dipa1 I'd an
a garden in the farest portion of the fair
est valley on the globe-the San Gabriel !;
a garden stocked with almost every plant
and tree that will grow in a semi-tropic
climate.
The library is housed in an admirably
designed building planned by Architect
Myron Hunt after a study of every similar
edifice in existence.
The result is that every painting, tap
estry, statue has its own architectural set
ting. and can be enjoyed without giving
the eyes that WEAKNESS which comes from
the grouping of priceless treasures in pha-
lanxes along the walls of the conventional
art gallery.
For the library Mr.. Hunt designed a
structure of the same general size as the
house. 1t is in the form of the letter E,
the three rear wings being for administra-
ton and exhibit rooms, and the centre
room being for the book EST *" The
whole is so constructed that its size can be
doubled as the collection increases.
The effect of the dry climate, which,
like excess humidity, is detrimental to
books. has been met by Mr.. Hunts device
of four-foot air space below the book
stack, which is supplied with air from the
basement, in which expanses of evaporat-
ing water are suspended; this atmosphere
is drawn up beneath the stacks and