Longtime Huntington Library Director David S. Zeidberg to Retire

David S. Zeidberg, Avery Director of the Library, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2017. Zeidberg has held his position at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, since March 1996.

“David’s accomplishments at The Huntington are legion,” said Laura Skandera Trombley, Huntington president. “His work here over the past 20 years has transformed our collections in a number of invaluable ways. Moreover, he was key in designing and building the Munger Research Center and assisted in the creation of the new Education and Visitor Center. David also has nurtured a remarkable team of talented staff members with a deep devotion to the Library, and I am deeply appreciative of the expert work that they do.”

Under his direction, The Huntington acquired important holdings including the papers of renowned authors Christopher Isherwood, Hilary Mantel, and Charles Bukowski. In 2006, the Dibner family, based in Connecticut, gave The Huntington their remarkable 67,000-item collection on the history of science, technology, and medicine, along with an endowment for new staff members.

Under Zeidberg’s leadership as well, Jay Last, one of the pioneers of Silicon Valley, gave The Huntington his extraordinary collection of color lithography and provided endowed support to catalog and care for the material.

Among other important collections acquired under Zeidberg’s leadership:

• The Francis Bacon Library, transferred from the Claremont Colleges and underscoring The Huntington as “a library of last resort,” as the institution takes on important collections other institutions can no longer manage.
• L.A. County’s court records from 1850 – 1910.
• The Sanford & Helen Berger collection of William Morris materials, including Kelmscott books, Morris pamphlets and manuscripts, and other Pre-Raphaelite materials.
• Important photograph collections including the Southern California Edison photo archive, the Ernest Marquez collection on Southern California, Maynard Parker’s archives, and Ansel Adams photographs.
• A plethora of Los Angeles Times-related collections including the papers of the Chandler family, Times-Mirror CEO Robert F. Erburu, cartoonist Paul Conrad, and columnists Jack Smith and Al Martinez.
• The history of aerospace in Southern California.
• The Whittier family archive.
• The Longo collection on the history of human reproduction.

“The Huntington’s collections are among the most remarkable in the world, so for a librarian, this is the career pinnacle to be sure,” said Zeidberg. “But the collections themselves are but one facet of the experience. It’s the talented and devoted staff who bring them to life through their hard work day in and day out. I consider myself among the fortunate few to have had such an extraordinary position at a most wonderful place and with such exceptional people.”

Following retirement, Zeidberg plans to continue at The Huntington as a researcher, writing in two areas: on the development of the Library collections during his tenure, and on his particular area of academic interest, the history of early printing.

A search committee will be formed later this year to find and hire a new director.

About The Huntington

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based research and educational institution serving scholars and the general public. More information about The Huntington can be found at huntington.org.

Visitor Information

The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, Calif., 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. It is open to the public Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day) are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and major holidays. Information: 626-405-2100 or huntington.org.