New York's Private Collection Palace - Morgan Library & Museum 🏰

The first museum I visited in New York was the famous Morgan Library. This library was commissioned by J.P. Morgan and built by architect Charles McKim to house his collection of rare books and manuscripts. As soon as you enter, you’re greeted by the marble-decorated hall and the paintings on the ceiling. 🌟 🌟 Morgan’s Study The first thing that catches your eye is the endless collection of books, lining every shelf. Mr. Morgan focused on collecting three types of books: those with historical significance, ones related to aesthetics, and books owned by famous individuals. Some books were collected simply because they had been owned by royalty, even if they had never been read. Behind the bookshelves, there are hidden spiral staircases leading to the upper shelves. Most of the books are actually stored in the museum’s basement, preserved at a special temperature. In addition to books, Morgan also collected many classic musical manuscripts, making it the second-largest collection of musical manuscripts after the Library of Congress. 📚 📌 Gutenberg Bible The Gutenberg Bible is a limited edition of Bibles produced by Gutenberg in Mainz in the mid-15th century. It was the first classic document in the West to be made using movable type printing technology. Out of the approximately 50 surviving Gutenberg Bibles, the Morgan Library owns three. 📖 🌟 Librarian’s Office In 1905, Morgan hired Belle Greene as the librarian. As a second-generation African American, Greene changed her surname to pass as white in an era of severe racial discrimination. Greene not only helped collect many rare books but also transformed the library into a public education venue. Today, this room displays cylinder seals from ancient Mesopotamia and statues from Greece and Rome. 🏛️ 📌 Foundation Figure of Ur-Namma This copper statue was placed in front of a temple in the Mesopotamian city of Nippur. Just as a mayor today might wear a hard hat and pose for photos at the groundbreaking of a new building, this sculpture depicts King Ur-Namma, with a basket of clay on his head, commemorating the start of a temple during his reign. 🏟️ 🌟 Morgan’s Office Morgan spent the last years of his life in this office. During the financial crisis of 1907, when the stock market crashed and financial panic spread, Morgan gathered the presidents of major New York trust companies in this office and locked the front door until they came up with a solution. Ultimately, Morgan and the presidents agreed to raise millions of dollars in loans from the banks to weather the financial storm. The room is adorned with Renaissance paintings and features a special passage for storing the most precious books. 🖼️ #NorthAmerica #NYCLife #NYCWeekend #NYCMuseum #WeekendPlans #MustVisitMuseum