Capsule Review
Personal Librarian
One of the great treasures of New York City, unknown to many people, is the Morgan Library. Located on an unassuming street a few blocks south of Grand Central Station, the library houses a priceless collection of books and other documents centering around the Renaissance, which were owned by the towering financier J. P. Morgan.
My wife Yvonne and I visited the Morgan Library on a recent trip. We aren’t bibliofiles or historians, but we love beautiful spaces and were overwhelmed by the quiet majesty of the place.
In 1902, Morgan hired McKim, Mead & White (architects of the original Penn Station, Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, and dozens of other historic structures) to design a place where he could house and enjoy his growing collection of rare books, manuscripts, and old master drawings and prints. The resulting building must be seen to be appreciated. It consists of a rotunda, Morgan’s personal offices, and the library itself, shown above, surely one of the most magnificent rooms in America.
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