The Morgan Library: A Philanthropist’s Literary Treasure

John Pierpont Morgan was one of the most influential and richest men in America during his lifetime, and while he was known in later years for his substantial philanthropy, his success came at a huge expense of the freedom and financial burden of others.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1837 to a successful family, Morgan spent some years studying in Europe before returning to New York to work as an apprentice banker. He worked closely with his father in the banking industry; their connections brought European investment money into the growing American economy. He had great skill in finding troubled companies and reorganizing them to be profitable again. He was largely responsible for starting some of the country’s major corporations, including U.S. Steel, International Harvester and General Electric, and his interests in businesses like Aetna, Western Union and many railroad lines brought in huge financial gains.

Visitors to the Morgan Library and Museum today enter through an enormous garden court, connecting Morgan’s original library to the rest of the buildings comprising the museum. The library itself is an absolute treasure that we are lucky to be able to enjoy. Throughout Morgan’s lifetime, he collected an amazing assortment of rare and important books, manuscripts, some very early printed books and many drawings and prints. It was his passion in his life, and his magnificent library was under construction from 1902-1906 with input and designs by architect Charles McKim. Some say this library was his best work.

Inside it, you wander through three extraordinary rooms, each more beautifully designed than the last. The three-story main library room is breathtaking, with rows upon rows of rare books, and a rotating collection of special books and manuscripts on display.

When I was there, correspondence between J. D. Salinger and the artist who created the cover jacket for The Catcher in the Rye, were on display for the first time, honoring Salinger’s wish for privacy during his lifetime.  Also on display at the museum was an impression exhibition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. There were amazing sketchings of his creations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and much history about his work in addition to photographs from his life and of his family. Whether a fan of the series or not, it was very enlightening to see.

I have also attended some fantastic musical events in the newer space that was added to the complex not long ago.  I don’t have the program any longer, but the library hosted several very talented opera singers to perform some repertoire in French. The performance hall was designed with excellent acoustics and the audience was really immersed in the music that evening.

As was often the case with the most rich and famous industrialists of the 1800s and early 1900s, the success of their companies and businesses were made possible by taking advantage of the people working at the bottom of the business model, and in the case of Morgan, we know today that some of his business dealings in the South were tied into the slave trade.

Morgan and his business partners were often guilty of minimizing and/or eliminating business competition to achieve their financial goals. While monopolies were in common practice before the US had regulations in place, Morgan, like many of his industrialist contemporaries, certainly took advantage of that practice. 

The Morgan Library and Museum is a significant monument to one man’s legacy to preserving literature and art during his lifetime. Because of his life-long passion for collecting these important books and manuscripts, visitors to this special museum can enjoy, for better or worse, the passion of one of America’s leading industrialists.

For more information: https://www.themorgan.org/