Morgan Library & Museum
The Morgan Library is one of my favorite museums in the city. I’m a sucker for libraries and the original 1906 library, referred to as Mr. Morgan’s Library, is one of the most stunning I’ve seen. It has three-story inlaid walnut bookshelves and an intricately painted ceiling. Contents include rare printed books and bindings, handwritten manuscripts of celebrated writers, artists and composers from the Renaissance to the present day, and three Gutenberg Bibles.
My second-favorite room is the rotunda. Although the striking marble room is no longer the main entrance, you can stand inside and imagine entering through the immense bronze doors. The ceiling paintings and decorated apse is also worth seeing.
In 1890, after he accumulated legendary quantities of money, Pierpont Morgan turned his sights to more gentle acquisitions. He began collecting artistic objects with the intent of rivaling any European library. In no time, he began busting from the seams and needed a special structure to house his treasures. So, in 1906 the original New York starchitect Charles McKim built a Renaissance-style palazzo complete with marble walls and mosaic panels. Reportedly, the exterior’s Tennessee pink marble was set with such precision that almost no mortar was used.
I recently saw the Charles Dickens at 200 exhibit, which grandly celebrates the author’s birthday by displaying manuscripts of his novels and stories, correspondence he wrote through stages of his internationally successful career, photographs and illustrations.
255 Madison Avenue @ 36th Street, New York, NY
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