The Hispanic Society of America, established in New York City in 1904, stands as a primary example of Archer Milton Huntington's lifelong commitment to institutional philanthropy. Born in 1870, he utilized his position as an heir to a railroad fortune to fund extensive scholarly projects, maritime research, and public sculpture spaces throughout the United States.
Advancement of Hispanic Studies
Huntington dedicated significant resources to the study of Old Spain, amassing collections now held at the Hispanic Society of America. He saved the Casa de Cervantes in Valladolid from destruction, later bequeathing the site to the Spanish nation. His patronage of Joaquin Sorolla resulted in the 1909 exhibition of 356 paintings and the commission of the Vision of Spain murals. Completed in 1926, these fourteen canvases remain the focal point of the Sorolla Room in Manhattan. Furthermore, he facilitated the careers of six prominent art historians, including Elizabeth du Gué Trapier and Beatrice Gilman Proske, by supporting their curatorial work and publications.
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Joining as a Fellow in 1894, Huntington became a Councilor in 1904 and served as President of the American Geographical Society starting in 1907. He provided the necessary capital for the construction of the society's new building on Audubon Terrace and funded the 1912 transcontinental excursion. Under his guidance, the society expanded its staff and collections, notably acquiring the 15th-century Leardo Mappamundi, which he donated in 1906. He was instrumental in selecting Isaiah Bowman as the organization's first director, ensuring a period of financial stability and academic growth.
Public Parks and Maritime Heritage
In collaboration with his wife, the sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, he established several major public landmarks. In 1932, they founded Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, a site combining figurative sculpture displays with a nature reserve and the preservation of the antebellum Brookgreen Plantation. That same year, he partnered with Homer L. Ferguson to establish the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. Additionally, he donated land for the 15,000-acre Archer Milton Huntington and Anna Hyatt Huntington Wildlife Forest in Newcomb, New York, which later transitioned to the State University of New York.
Cultural Endowments
Beyond visual arts, Huntington supported literature and numismatics. He provided the land for the American Academy of Arts and Letters to build its permanent facility in New York. He also secured the relocation of the American Numismatic Society and the Museum of the American Indian to the Audubon Terrace complex. In 1936, he created the endowment for the position now known as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. His various contributions were recognized with the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III and the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise.
Fast facts
- Born: 1870, New York City
- Died: 1955, Bethel, Redding
- Spouse: Anna Hyatt Huntington
- Founded: Hispanic Society of America (1904)
- Notable commission: Vision of Spain murals by Joaquin Sorolla
- Burial site: Woodlawn Cemetery
- Literary contribution: Endowed the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry position
- Academic memberships: American Academy of Arts and Letters; American Philosophical Society
Questions readers ask
What is the Hispanic Society of America?
It is a museum and rare books library founded by Huntington in 1904 in New York City, focused on collections regarding Old Spain.
What is the Mariners' Museum?
Located in Newport News, Virginia, it is one of the largest maritime museums in the world, founded in 1932 by Huntington and Homer L. Ferguson.
Achievements
- Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III — 1918
- Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise — 1946
- Samuel Finley Breese Morse Medal
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