The Morgan Library, New York City
and some book recommendations
I have to admit, I didn’t know about the Morgan Library until I read The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. When I learned the library was open to the public, I knew I had to visit on my most recent trip to New York.
But first, a little background history. The Morgan Library & Museum initially was the personal library of Pierpont Morgan. Financier, cultural benefactor and collector, Morgan began amassing his collections in 1890.
The library itself was constructed between 1902 and 1906 next-door to his home on Madison and 36th. The library is an Italian renaissance-style palazzo. After Morgan’s death, his son J.P. Morgan recocgnized the importance of this library and transformed it into a public institution.
Morgan owned three brownstones, all next to one another. This one on the corner, I believe, was the main residence:
The one in the middle has been completely renovated, looks quite modern. We began here, in the café, where a few of us ordered tea service while listening to an amazing jazz trio - a free Friday night specialty (but you do need to reserve your free tickets ahead of time.)
There was also an exhibit on the photos and paintings of Beatrix Potter.
So here’s the view from the front door when you enter. It was stunning. I mean, the ceiling is unreal.
To my right was the library, which took my breath away and I had to work hard to stop myself from sobbing at the sheer beauty of all of these beautiful, well-loved books given such reverence. I could have spent hours poring over the thousands of leather-bound books.
The last room was a red parlor with a vault open to guests that used to house the most valuable books in the collection.
It was fun to be in that space and imagine what it must have been like to live in that house in old New York. I never would have left the library.
If you ever find yourself in New York City, I highly recommend visiting The Morgan Library!
Want to learn more about the Morgan Library? Here are some books for further reading.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
The initial impetus for my trip to the Morgan Library, this novel explores J. P. Morgan's personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.
J. Pierpont’s Morgan’s Library: Building a Bookman’s Paradise by Christine Nelson and Brian Regan
This illustrated publication celebrates the first-ever restoration of the exterior of J. Pierpont Morgan's Library, now a National Historic Landmark and a New York City landmark.
Belle Greene by Alexandra Lapierre
A second novel about Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene.
The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow
You know Chernow as the author of Alexander Hamilton, which was adapted into the musical. This is a story of four generations of Morgans and the powerful, secretive firms they spawned, ones that would transform the modern financial world.
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