The Morgan Library and Museum, New York
In March last year, Lyssy from Lyssy in the City posted about her visit to one of the most incredible libraries I’ve ever seen. I knew I had to incorporate it in to my next visit to New York, so it was top of the agenda for my recent trip. As an avid reader and lover of libraries I knew I would enjoy it – but despite having expectations through the roof, my visit still exceeded them.
This place is absolutely incredible – and I can’t recommend it highly enough to you! Let’s go!
History of the Morgan Library
The Morgan Library was established as the personal collection of John Pierpont Morgan, funded by his large fortune amassed from his dominance on Wall Street. The collection began in around 1890 and as it got bigger, he had a whole library built in 1902.
He hired the absolutely wonderful Belle da Costa Greene as his librarian, and over the next 40+ years, she acquired and catalogued one of the best private collections in the world. It now hosts over 300,000 books and manuscripts.
JP Morgan died in 1913 and left the library to his son, JP Junior. He then gifted the library as an endowment to the public as requested by his father. Since then the complex and collection have grown considerably, and since 2006 has been open as The Morgan Library & Museum.
What to see at the Morgan Library
The Library
The Library is out of this world. Walking in to it I just had to stop and say wow. I didn’t even take my phone out for a good two minutes as I just wanted to take it all in. In 2010 the Morgan restored the interior of the 1906 library to its original grandeur. A new lighting system was installed to illuminate the extraordinary murals and decor; and wow is it breathtaking.
Rotunda
This was the original entrance foyer to the building – quite the entrance! The Rotunda is made of marble surfaces and columns, mosaic panels, and columns of lapis lazuli. The marble floor owes its design to that of the Villa Pia in the Vatican gardens. Snazzy.
The paintings are inspired by Pinturicchio’s decorations for the Borgia apartments in the Vatican, and are a tribute to the great literary stories and authors; perfect for a library.
Librarian’s Office
This office was home to Belle da Costa Greene, the wonderful librarian. I won’t write about her here as she has a whole gallery later on in the post, so I will just admire her office and its treasures – if only mine was like this!
JP Morgan’s Study
This the study from which JP Morgan worked. This is where he met with art dealers, scholars, business colleagues, and friends, and was decorated to his personal taste. The red walls are covered in silk imported from Italy, the mantelpiece was sculpted in Florence, and the bronze fire-dogs are of early sixteenth-century Paduan or Venetian manufacture. JP seemed to love a bit of luxury Italy. My highlight of the room was the secret book vault – the dream!
Morgan Stanley Galleries
The Morgan Stanley Galleries host temporary exhibitions. During my visit they were on the life and times and Belle da Costa Greene. Belle was born Belle Greener, to African-American parents. Her father, Richard, was the first black student and first black graduate of Harvard. He went on to work as an attorney, professor and racial justice activist.
After her parents’ separation, the light-skinned Belle, her mother, and her siblings began identifying as white, and changed their surname to Greene. Her mother changed her maiden name to Van Vliet in an effort to assume Dutch ancestry, and Belle added “da Costa”, claiming Portuguese ancestry to explain her darker complexion. It’s likely Belle never spoke to her father again, listing him as deceased throughout the 1910s, even though he wasn’t.
Greene began working in the administrative offices at Columbia University, and then attended a Summer School of Library Economy, before starting work in Princeton Library in 1902. It was there that she met JP Morgan’s nephew, and was later introduced to the man himself, becoming his librarian in 1905. She sourced, negotiated, contracted, catalogued, displayed and archived thousands of books. She never married or had children and dedicated her life to the library.
Lower Level Galleries
The lower level galleries tell the story of the lives of JP Morgan Snr and JP Morgan Jnr, as well as the building itself and the collection.
Of particular interest is the explanation of the over 1,000 illuminated manuscripts owned by the library, which date from the 6th – 16th centuries. Among them include Anglo-Saxon gospels, Hours of Catherine of Cleves and The Morgan Bible (thought to date back to the 1200s in Paris).
The manuscript collection also includes many original author signed manuscripts including Charles Dickens’ original A Christmas Carol manuscript, poems by Robert Burns, Edgar Allen Poe’s A Tale of the Ragged Mountains, and writings from Hemingway, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Moore, Jane Austen and hundreds more. There are also 20+ original prints of the United States Declaration of Independence (!).
The books are equally impressive, including one of only 6 original Italian Bibles, plus first editions or proofread versions of hundreds of famous books, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Upper Gallery
The upper gallery hosts temporary exhibitions and during my visit it was on the life and works of Franz Kafka. If I’m honest, I find his stories incredibly disturbing and have never really managed to complete a book, but I can appreciate his creativity and uniqueness so it was interesting to learn more about the man from Prague.
Visitor Information
- Tickets: Pre-booked tickets are recommended; you can book online and they cost roughly £20. Tickets are released 1 month in advance.
- Opening Hours: 10.30am – 5pm, other than Friday when it closes at 8pm. Closed on Mondays.
- How to see the Library empty: Book 10.30am entrance tickets, get to the entrance at 10am and queue in front of the far right door as you look at the entrance. Pass through ticket control and head straight to the back right of the building, through the cafeteria to go straight to the library and be the first one in. I was by myself for about 12 minutes by doing this.
- Free Fridays: Entrance to the Library is free on Fridays between 5 – 8pm, but reservations are still required.
- College Sundays: College students can gain free admission on the first Sunday of each month.
- The Morgan Garden: Is only open during the summer months
- Facilities: There are cloakrooms, toilets, a café and a gift shop on site.
What do you think of the Morgan Library and Museum? I had the most wonderful visit and am so honoured to have had this incredible library to myself, even if just for a few minutes. What an incredible place, well worth a visit if you’re in New York.
