| :: New York City >Midtown
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Attraction >Landmark
| Morgan Library |
Address:
29 E. 36th St. on Madison
| New York City | 10016
Region:
Midtown
Rating:
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More Info
Phone: 212-685-0008
FAX:
Website
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Description and Basic Information ::
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The Morgan Library is one of the lesser-known treasures of New York. It began in the early 20th century as a private collection of rare manuscripts, drawings and prints belonging to Pierpont Morgan, legendary financier and cultural benefactor. Today, it is a world-renown research library with an outstanding collection of said items, only now much more extensive.
The Morgan Library was built between 1902 and 1906 adjacent to Morgan’s private home at Madison Avenue and 36th street. Constructed to resemble an Italian Renaissance palazzo, its grand rooms convey a sense of majesty and provide an appropriate setting for the treasures within. Once called ''one of the seven wonders of the Edwardian World,'' the Morgan Library is considered a crowning achievement of Charles McKim, the famous architect and designer from the firm of McKim, Mead & White.
In 1924, 11 years after the death of Pierpont Morgan, his son Jack decided the collection was too important to remain a private collection. Since then, the library’s museum has kept its doors open to the public and has continued to expand its unique exhibits.
Inside the museum, visitors will find some of the most important and rare documents dating from the Middle Ages to present day. Some of the literary and historical documents include Charles Dickens's manuscript of A Christmas Carol, Henry David Thoreau's journals and the manuscripts and letters of Jane Austin, Charlotte Brontë, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, John Steinbeck and Voltaire.
As the collection grew, so did the need for space. An annex was soon built on the site of Pierpont Morgan's brownstone. Completed in 1928, the new space included a large foyer, a reading room, and an exhibition hall. The new structure was joined to the original library by means of a connecting gallery called the Cloister (recently renamed the Dr. Rudolf J. and Lore Heinemann Gallery). The most dramatic addition, however, occurred in 1987, when the Library doubled its size with the acquisition of Jack Morgan's nearby town house. A garden court was built to connect the house with the Annex and original library. Completed in 1991, the expansion made way both for more exhibitions and a wider array of lectures, concerts, and other educational programs. |
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:: New York City >Midtown :: |
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