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Podcasts Take Two
'The Art of Wealth' tells the intimate story of the Huntington family
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Aug 6, 2013
Listen • 9:44
'The Art of Wealth' tells the intimate story of the Huntington family
Guest host Tess Vigeland speaks with Shelley Bennett, author of "The Art of Wealth: The Huntingtons in the Gilded Age", about how the famous family built their fortune and became so enamored with collecting art.
Henry E. Huntington, standing with cane in front of the bronze door to the library building, Henry E. Huntington estate, San Marino, ca. 1927.
Henry E. Huntington, standing with cane in front of the bronze door to the library building, Henry E. Huntington estate, San Marino, ca. 1927.
(
Huntington Library, Art Collections, Botanical Gardens
)
Portrait of Arabella Huntington.
Portrait of Arabella Huntington.
(
The Huntington Library
)
Portrait of Collis P. Huntington. ca. 1860.
Portrait of Collis P. Huntington. ca. 1860.
(
Hispanic Society of America
)
Portrait of Henry Huntington.
Portrait of Henry Huntington.
(
The Huntington Library
)
Arabella and Collis Huntington's Homestead Residence, Throggs Neck, Westchester County, N.Y.
Arabella and Collis Huntington's Homestead Residence, Throggs Neck, Westchester County, N.Y.
(
Hispanic Society of America
)
Master Bedroom, Arabella Huntington's West 54th Street residence, New York City, 1882–84.
Master Bedroom, Arabella Huntington's West 54th Street residence, New York City, 1882–84.
(
Hispanic Society of America
)
homas Gainsborough, The Blue Boy, ca. 1770.
homas Gainsborough, The Blue Boy, ca. 1770.
(
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
)
Inside the Main Portrait Gallery at the Huntington Library.
Inside the Main Portrait Gallery at the Huntington Library.
(
Michelle Lanz/KPCC
)
An 18th century painting seen in the Main Portrait Gallery at the Huntington Library.
An 18th century painting seen in the Main Portrait Gallery at the Huntington Library.
(
Michelle Lanz/KPCC
)

Guest host Tess Vigeland speaks with Shelley Bennett, author of "The Art of Wealth: The Huntingtons in the Gilded Age", about how the famous family built their fortune and became so enamored with collecting art.

Huntington Beach. Huntington Gardens. Huntington Library. The Huntington name is among the most famous in Los Angeles history. Turn a corner and you'll find something with the family name on it.

There's a new inside story to how East Coast railroad tycoons came to build one of the largest art collections in southern California. 

In her new book, "The Art of Wealth: The Huntingtons in the Gilded Age," author Shelley Bennett takes us inside the personal lives of four members of the Huntington family.

Tess Vigeland recently sat down with Bennett inside what was once the home of Henry and Arabella Huntington on the grounds of the Huntington Library in San Marino, which hosts more than 500,000 visitors each year.