Stories from the Library
From the Gutenberg Bible to plans for the first Los Angeles skyscraper, from the everyday writings of Charlotte Brontë and Octavia E. Butler to an ink-blotted page of Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography—this new exhibition series features both notable and unexpected collection materials in conversation with other works, many of which have never been exhibited before.
These exhibitions build on a vision established by Henry E. Huntington, who, when asked by the press if he planned to write a memoir, responded, “This library will tell the story; it represents the reward of all the work that I have ever done and the realization of much happiness.”
About Stories from the Library
The “Stories from the Library” exhibition series celebrates The Huntington’s world-class Library collections by presenting rare archival materials through new and unexpected thematic lenses.
Future iterations will explore such topics as early science and medicine, international relations, and reflections on mortality. The series will continue through 2029, coinciding with the transformation of The Huntington’s Library/Art Building.
Generous support for the Stories from the Library exhibition series is provided by the Robert F. Erburu Exhibition Endowment. Additional support is provided by The Neilan Foundation, the Steinmetz Foundation, Laura and Carlton Seaver, and the John Brockway Huntington Foundation.
Temporary
Damaged Goods
Sat., June 27, 2026 – Mon., Nov. 30, 2026.
Huntington Art Gallery, Large Library
See how damaged objects, visible mistakes, and other imperfections reveal how physical traces can make library materials more compelling, beautiful, and revealing.
The Mirror of the Moon
Sat., June 27, 2026 – Mon., Nov. 30, 2026.
Huntington Art Gallery, Focus Gallery
Follow surprising threads across centuries that show how artists, scientists, writers, and dreamers have traced their ideas onto the lunar surface and discover how the moon is a mirror of humanity.
PAST EVENTS
From Brontë to Butler
Dec. 13, 2025–June 15, 2026
Huntington Art Gallery, Large Library
Get a behind-the-scenes look at two centuries of the everyday lives of women writers through ephemera, letters, and journals.
Stories from the Library: Looking to Learn
Dec. 13, 2025–June 15, 2026
Huntington Art Gallery, Focus Gallery
Examine diverse instructional and educational materials for children from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries.
The Tales Through Time
June 21–Dec. 1, 2025
Huntington Art Gallery, Large Library
The Huntington’s Ellesmere Chaucer—the most complete and authoritative version of Geoffrey Chaucer’s iconic Canterbury Tales—is presented among later iterations of the work to show how the tales changed textually and visually across centuries.
Los Angeles, Revisited
June 21–Dec. 1, 2025
Huntington Art Gallery, Focus Gallery
Since the early 20th century, Los Angeles architects, planners, business owners, artists, and activists have contended with an aspirational and rapidly urbanized city that is constantly evolving. This exhibition explores the ways in which many of these figures have reckoned with the resulting opportunities and challenges.