Verso

A monstrous frog-like creature nibbling at the breast of a corpse; a claustrophobic encounter between two women who embrace under the eyes of a shadowy watcher; a raving sorceress surging forward, bent on destruction

Even by the standards of the day, the task the 15th-century Yongle emperor in China gave to his scholars was unreasonable: compile and organize a book containing all the knowledge of the world, and make sure the information was easy to access.

Before we say goodbye to 2014, we invite you to enjoy a dozen highlights selected from the year's Verso posts. Take a peek behind the scenes at The Huntington and meet some of the staff members and volunteers who help make it a special place.

To get in the mood for the winter holiday season, take a gander at The Huntington's snows of yesteryear (1932, 1948, and 1949) as captured in a remarkable collection of photographs available through our digital library.

The Huntington Art Gallery has a cool holiday tree again. Last year, a cacophony of colorful piñatas covered the noble fir, a concept developed by designer David Netto. This year, artist Konstantin Kakanias conceived of a tree adorned with whimsical birds

Today is my last day as institutional archivist and curator of manuscripts at The Huntington. Just over eight years ago, I came here to be the first person to hold the official title of "institutional archivist."

In the case of The Three Witches, there was more than met the eye. In 2012, The Huntington received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to develop an integrated preservation program that would serve both the Library and Art divisions.

As champagne corks pop on Dec. 31 to welcome the New Year, many in the field of medicine will be raising a glass to Andreas Vesalius (1514–64), born 500 years ago on this day. A Flemish-born anatomist and physician, Vesalius wrote one of the most influential books on human anatomy