Morgan Library & Museum
The Morgan Library & Museum (official name since 2005, previously known as Pierpont Morgan Library, Morgan Library and The Morgan ) is a library on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. It has an excellent collection of manuscripts, papyri, incunabula, early prints, illustrated books, music autographs and graphics. The core of the library is the private library of the American banker JP Morgan. Since November 1966 its main building is a National Historic Landmark listed building.
History of the Library
Morgan, among others in Europe had completed his studies in Göttingen, built after his return to America to be a huge economic empire. Around 1890 he began the systematic purchase of important and valuable manuscripts and books, especially the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as autographs, drawings and rare books in particularly precious bindings. For the collection is constantly growing, he was next to his Manhattan apartment building build your own library in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The library was completed in 1906. 1924 made Morgan's son John Pierpont Morgan Junior the library to the public. It serves to this day as a library, museum and international research.
In the library united collections
1912 Morgan acquired the Amherst Papyri, a collection of Egyptian, Coptic and Greek papyri from the collection of Lord Amherst of Hackney. The library manages since 1937, most of the papyri of the Colt Archaeological Institute. The library bought collections of James Toovey, Theodore Irvin, Richard Bennet and Richard Morris. Some collections were handed over to the Museum: The Glazier manuscripts of William S. Glazier (1907-1962), the Heinemann manuscripts of Dannie N. Heineman (1872-1962), the Buehler manuscripts of Dr. Curt F. Bühler ( 1905 - 1985), the Stillman manuscripts of E. Clark Stillman ( 1907-1995 ) and the Wightman manuscripts by Julia Parker Wightman ( 1909-1994 ).
Buildings and extensions
The building of the library, the McKim Building of Charles McKim ( architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White), from 1903, is on sale in 33 East 36th Street, then adjacent to JP Morgan's residence at 219 Madison Avenue The McKim Building was essentially a recreation of the Roman Nymphaeum.
The house was largely demolished in 1928 and replaced by an exhibition hall with a reading room, also by McKim,.
The building 231 Madison Avenue ( corner building on 37th Street ) was built by Phelps, Dodge and Co. in 1852 and acquired in 1988 by the Library.
In the new millennium revised architect Renzo Piano, the building complex, to increase the exhibition space and designed a four -story annex (2006). Glass walls link the old and the new museum part. The reopening took place on 29 April 2006.
Director of the Library
Important works
- Lindauer of Gospels ( 9th century )
- Maciejowski Bible
- Three complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible (one copy on vellum, two on paper)
- The Roman de la Rose for Francis I.
- Music autographs, including eleven from the Peters Music Library. These include Franz Schubert's swan song; Chopin Mazurka op 59, no 3 and Polonaises Op 26; as well as parts of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris and Georg Friedrich Handel's cantata Qual ti riveggio, oh Dio (HWV 150). The Morgan Library acquired after 1968 even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's concert aria Misero! o sogno / Aura, che intorno spiri (KV 425b/431 ), Schubert's Impromptus D. 935, and Carl Maria von Weber's Invitation to the Dance.
- Antoine de Saint Exupéry's autograph of the book The Little Prince.
- Black Book of Hours
- Miniatures of the Ramsey Psalter