Donations: California Library Gains Hundreds of Presidential Documents

From the Associated Press:

History scholars are getting a new trove of priceless presidential papers to pore over at Southern California’s Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.

The Huntington announced Thursday that 340 artifacts focusing on presidential administrations from the 18th to the 20th centuries are being donated by L. Dennis and Susan R. Shapiro from their personal collection.

Read the Complete Article

More From the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens:

The Shapiro Collection is particularly rich in correspondence by John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, including dozens of Adams-related documents and letters penned by the second and sixth presidents, father and son. “I collected the Adamses,” [L. Dennis] Shapiro said, “because I personally connected with their feelings toward family and country, and felt that they were underappreciated. But the wisdom of these two men, made evident in their frequent correspondence, speaks volumes about human dignity and empathy and the deep connection between them.” The collection includes, as well, a rich trove of material from Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treasury under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Presidential spouses are also represented, including letters by Dolley Madison and Abigail Adams.

[Clip]

The gift includes an endowment for innovative programming and the long-term care and growth of The Huntington’s premier early-American collections of rare books and manuscripts, which are unique on the West Coast.

Direct to Complete Announcement From Huntington Library

Filed under: Journal Articles, Libraries, News