Pre-Conference
A Day at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Thursday, October 5, 2017
8:15 am-5:30 pm, with transportation from the hotel, $140
9:30 am-5:30 pm, without transportation from the hotel, $110
Attend the dedication of a beautiful new garden bench to honor Jane Austen! Gaze at 19th Century paintings Austen saw exhibited in London. Roam 120 acres of 16 distinct and world famous gardens.
This Pre-Conference takes place at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, one of the premier cultural centers in the U.S. Here are the day’s events:
- Dr. Steve Hindle, the Huntington's Interim president and Director of Research, will share his reflections on "Representations of the Rural Poor in Eighteenth Century Paintings."
- Melinda McCurdy, associate curator of British art at the Huntington, will highlight paintings from the Huntington’s world-famous collection.
- June Li, Curator Emeritus, will lead a tour of the “Garden of Flowing Fragrance,” one of the world’s largest (and newest) Chinese gardens.
- California Institute of Technology Dean of Students Kevin Gilmartin, who specializes in social and political developments in British literature and print culture, will guide visitors through the Huntington’s collection of Austen-related books and letters, assembled by archivist Stephen Tabor.
- Huntington docent Christine Atkinson will lead visitors on a tour of portraits that Jane Austen saw at a retrospective of the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds at the British Institution in Pall Mall, London in 1813, including the majestic “Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse.”
- To honor Jane Austen, the Huntington Library has graciously underwritten the costs of a new garden bench, to be inscribed with an observation she made about gardens. The dedication ceremony will take place in the late afternoon.
Coffee and tea will be available throughout the morning. Lunch for ticket holders will be served on an outdoor terrace with stunning views of the Huntington’s lawns and trees and the Los Angeles basin beyond, weather permitting.