Archer Milton Huntington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Archer Milton Huntington
|
|
|---|---|
Huntington c. 1900
|
|
| Born | March 10, 1870 New York City, U.S.
|
| Died | December 11, 1955 (aged 85) Bethel, Connecticut, U.S.
|
| Spouse(s) | Anna Hyatt Huntington |
.jpg)
Archer Milton Huntington (born March 10, 1870 – died December 11, 1955) was an American who loved learning and helped many organizations. He is best known for his work in Hispanic studies. This means he studied the history, art, and culture of Spain and countries that speak Spanish.
He started The Hispanic Society of America in New York City. He also gave a lot of help to the American Geographical Society. This group studies maps and the Earth.
Huntington also supported the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This group celebrates American artists and writers. He helped the American Numismatic Society too. This society studies coins and money. He even convinced them to move their building next to his other projects in New York City.
In 1932, he and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, started two important places. They created Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. This is a special garden for sculptures. They also founded the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. It is one of the biggest museums about ships and the sea in the world. Archer Huntington grew up in a very rich family. His adopted father, Collis P. Huntington, was a powerful railroad owner.
Contents
Archer Huntington's Love for Hispanic Culture
Archer Huntington is famous for his deep interest in Hispanic studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City in 1904. This place is a museum and a library. It has many old books and art from Spain. Its collections are some of the best outside of Spain itself.
Huntington bought a house in Spain where the famous writer Miguel de Cervantes once lived. Cervantes wrote Don Quixote. Huntington later gave this house and other items to Spain. Today, it is a museum.
In 1908, Huntington met a Spanish painter named Joaquin Sorolla. Sorolla was an impressionist artist. Huntington invited Sorolla to show his paintings at the Hispanic Society in 1909. This big art show had 356 paintings. Sorolla sold 195 of them. He stayed in the United States for five months. During that time, he painted more than twenty portraits.
In 1911, Huntington asked Sorolla to paint 14 large murals. These paintings are known as Vision of Spain. They are considered Sorolla's most important work. These huge artworks hang in the Sorolla Room at the Hispanic Society building. The room opened in 1926 after Sorolla passed away. It was made to honor him. The room was fixed up in 2010. While it was being repaired, the murals traveled to museums in Spain.
After 1920, Huntington helped many art historians. He supported their work on Spanish art. His wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, was a well-known American sculptor. She created the bronze statues and stone carvings outside the Hispanic Society building.
Helping the American Geographical Society
In 1894, Archer Huntington became a member of the American Geographical Society. He became a leader there in 1904. In 1907, he was chosen as the President of the Society.
Huntington gave land to the Society in 1911. He also paid for most of their new building. He gave a lot of money to the Society while he was a member.
Huntington was a very important leader for the Society. He helped them get new buildings. This allowed them to hire more people and collect more items. He also helped them plan a trip around the world for geographers in 1912. He made sure the Society's money was well managed. He also helped their library grow.
Huntington also helped the Society get a very old world map. It is called the Leardo Mappamundi. This map is from the 1400s. Huntington gave it to the Society in 1906. Today, the map is at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After he died in 1955, the Society said he would be remembered. They said he brought many groups together with "academic dignity and repose."
Archer Huntington's Generosity
Archer Huntington was a very generous person. He gave away a lot of his wealth to help others.
In 1915, he gave land next to the Hispanic Society. This land was for the American Academy of Arts and Letters. They built their main building there. He also gave land and money to move the Numismatic Society and the Museum of the American Indian to the same area.
During the Great Depression, Huntington and his wife gave away much of their property. They wanted to help people and support learning. They had a large home called Atalaya Castle in South Carolina.
In 1932, he gave land and helped create Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. This is a public sculpture garden. It shows sculptures by American artists. Many pieces by his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, are there. Part of Brookgreen Gardens is a nature reserve. Another part keeps alive the history of an old plantation. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Another piece of land is used for Huntington Beach State Park. The gardens, old plantation sites, and their home, Atalaya Castle, became a special historic district in 2012.
In 1932, Huntington also worked with Homer L. Ferguson. They started the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. It is one of the biggest museums about the sea in the world.
In 1936, Huntington created a special fund. This fund pays for a "Consultant in Poetry" at the Library of Congress. This person is now called the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. They help share poetry with the country.
From 1932 to 1939, the Huntingtons gave land for a large forest. It is called the Archer Milton Huntington and Anna Hyatt Huntington Wildlife Forest. It is now part of a university in New York.
In 1939, the Huntingtons gave their mansion in New York City to the National Academy of Design. This is the oldest group for artists in the United States. The building also holds the National Academy Museum and Art School.
Huntington's Family
Archer Huntington had several cousins who became well-known. His cousin Henry E. Huntington started the famous Huntington Library, Art Museums, and Botanical Gardens in California.
His Marriages
Huntington first married Helen Manchester Gates in 1895. She was a writer. They did not have any children. They divorced in 1918.
Huntington married American sculptor Anna Hyatt on March 10, 1923. She made beautiful bronze sculptures. Her works included animals and figures from history and books. Many of her sculptures are at the Hispanic Society of America in New York City.
Together, Archer and Anna founded Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina in 1931. It is a sculpture center and nature reserve.
Both Archer and Anna had their birthdays on March 10. They called it "3 in 1 day." This day is celebrated at Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. They did not have children together.
See Also
In Spanish: Archer Milton Huntington para niños
- Huntington family
- Archer M. Huntington Award
