The Morgan Library in Manhattan may ring a bell to those who are familiar with Gilded Age America.
JP Morgan was an extremely successful investment banker involved in corporate finance in New York.
His immense wealth afforded him a multitude of private residences, including his personal library, which was made a public institution after his death in accordance with his will.
Unsurprisingly, the Morgan Museum is most well known for its spectacular library and collection of rare books- they named the place after it for a reason!
Although not all on public display, the Morgan collection includes a vast collection of manuscripts. Illuminated manuscripts, musical manuscripts, signed manuscripts of famous novels are all collected by the Museum.
In addition to the manuscripts, the Morgan also holds letters from famous figures such as Beethoven, Chopin, Napoleon, and Voltaire.
If it had writing on it, it seems the Morgan’s were open to adding it to their collection.
The room itself is also spectacular. The 30-foot high ceilings are lined with walnut shelves holding endless volumes of literature dating back to the 16th century. A massive tapestry is hung over a cozy fireplace, and every nook and cranny is filled with frescos.
Mr. Morgan’s Library is a delight for every book-lover!
Don’t miss the Gutenberg Bible in this room; the first long book printed from movable type in the West- and they’ve got three of them! I was also pretty drawn to the jewel encrusted Lindau Gospels in this room.
Although there is a second floor walkway wrapping around the library, it seems to be limited to tour groups. The average visitor will have to admire the library from ground level.
While the library is the main draw of the museum, I was very impressed by the Rotunda and Mr. Morgan’s Study. The study is richly decorated from the Morgan collection, and the red tones of the walls and furniture only served complement the books and artwork.
Unlike the dark and cozy atmosphere of the Study the Rotunda is much brighter, with huge arching ceilings and intricate mosaics- it felt like stepping into the Renaissance!
Make sure to admire the ceiling here- it really is stunning.
While these collections are permanent, the Morgan also offers rotating exhibitions.
Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions
Those lucky enough to stop by during the Tarot exhibition were in for a special treat!
The Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions sprawled out through both the East and West Gallery and focused on the history of tarot over the past several hundred years.
The first part of the exhibition was centered around the Visconti-Sforza Tarot cards- the oldest surviving tarot cards in the world, and the most famous example of Renaissance tarot!
With a tarot deck numbering 78 cards, most of these decks are incomplete. The Morgan itsel owns only 35 cards. For this collection, the Morgan collaborated with Accademia Carrara and the combined display marked the first time a majority of this deck has been displayed in North America.
While the first part of the collection focused on the Renaissance era of tarot, where the cards were used for games- much like our modern day cards, the collection soon edged into its more modern occult properties.
The second room focused on the modern decks of cards featuring all kinds of artwork from colored pencil to collage to photography. I’ve always thought that tarot cards make for great art prompts!
This room featured the prominent Rider–Waite deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. If you’ve seen a classic tarot deck before, these illustrations may look familiar! I felt a little starstruck, honestly!
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