A library, a book and a secret
The Morgan Library & Museum
A few months ago, I read an absolutely riveting book. The cover and title do little to suggest that it’s a fast read: “The Personal Librarian.” Inside though, it reveals the amazing story of Belle da Costa Greene, a woman who becomes the personal librarian for financier J. Pierpont Morgan during the Gilded Age. The secret is that she is Black.
This book is so good and has so much to tell, I completely recommend it, and I’m not giving away any spoilers here. And it offered a bonus. After reading it, I took the train into NYC to visit the setting for the story, the Morgan Library & Museum on 36th Street and Madison (the façade faces 36thStreet, but you enter on the avenue). How often can you go inside a book like that?
Written by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, it falls into the category of biographical/historical fiction and tells the story of Greene who essentially “passes” for white in New York City. She is hired by Morgan as an assistant and eventually becomes his adviser and the power behind his extensive collection of rare books and art, and ultimately library director.
If you’re in a book club, it’s a perfect selection because it provides so much to talk about - Greene, segregation, the culture of the period. It was recommended to me by a friend (thanks, Robin), and I suggested it to another friend, Diane.
She and I get together just a few times a year, so we make the most of those days that she calls our “adventures.” After she read it, a trip to the library was on the agenda. The picture of us here was taken by a group of women we met who had read it in their club. We, of course, took their photo for them.
The library website states tickets are by timed entry, but when we called, this was not required. But try to time your trip so you can take a docent tour (call for details on this), which was included with admission ($22 adults/$14 seniors). Without it, you would miss so much. The library is outstanding, but the docent really brought it to life. (If that’s not available, do the audio tour.)
As we walked through the space, we saw the very spots where Greene and Morgan interacted, starting with the palatial domed Rotunda. A lot to see, especially looking up. Plenty of marble, columns, art inspired by the Renaissance, and symbolism only a docent or art historian could explain.
The three doorways lead to:
The historic Library, lined floor to ceiling (30 feet high) with triple tiers of bookcases, and exhibitions of medieval illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, early printed bibles, as well as a bust of Greene.
Details of Greene’s story are on the website (see photo below).
Morgan’s Study, where he worked, with his portrait above the fireplace, and much opulence to absorb.
The North Room, which was Greene’s office, now a gallery space for Morgan’s collections of antiquities including Greek and Roman objects as well as ancient seals from Mesopotamia (cylindrical impression stamps that were used on clay for identification purposes). These are so small that it’s hard to imagine the dexterity they required.
There are other exhibition spaces too; make time to relax and wander about. Have lunch or coffee at the café and be sure to browse in the gift shop, where you can purchase your own copy of “The Personal Librarian,” if you haven’t read it, and lots of other artsy items.
Coming in the fall of 2024 is an exhibition dedicated to her, Belle Da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy. Info regarding this show is on the website under Upcoming Exhibitions.
To mark the 2024 centenary of its life as a public institution, the Morgan Library & Museum will present a major exhibition devoted to the life and career of its inaugural director, Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950). Widely recognized as an authority on illuminated manuscripts and deeply respected as a cultural heritage executive, Greene was one of the most prominent librarians in American history….
The exhibition will trace Greene’s storied life, from her roots in a predominantly Black community in Washington, D.C., to her distinguished career at the helm of one of the world’s great research libraries. Through extraordinary objects―from medieval manuscripts and rare printed books to archival records and portraits―the exhibition will demonstrate the confidence and savvy Greene brought to her roles as librarian, scholar, curator, and cultural executive, and honor her enduring legacy.
Maybe I will see you there!