The Pierpoint Morgan Library and I have an illustrious non-history. Every time I have been to New York previously the library has been closed or was being renovated. So it was with great anticipation that I finally had the chance to visit library that had always been highlighted in my Lonely Planet!
The renovations are, quite honestly, spectacular. Bright, open spaces greet you when you enter. A peaceful bliss is quickly evident as you step into the foyer off Madison Avenue. It does not feel stuffy or unwelcoming and you are encouraged to explore at your own pace.
The first thing that I decided I must do was watch the introductory film to the library and museum. It was here that I was seated in the Gilder Lehrman Hall all on my own. It is a stunning auditorium that hosts concerts and events. Right before the film was to start a lady also entered the auditorium and remarked how we were lucky to have got a seat. We partook in some small talk and then the film began outlining the history of the library and the Morgan family.
When the film ended, I started chatting to the lady again and before we know it we had been talking until the start of the next viewing. We quickly exited and continued our conversation on one of the benches in the museum area. Her name was Annette and she was a former New Yorker who had since moved to a retirement village area in Florida. We got talking because she asked my profession, and then she told me about herself. It seems, her Rabbi had asked her to be the librarian (in a volunteer capacity) for her congregation library in Florida and she loved the job. We chatted and chatted and before I knew it – an hour had passed. After a while, we exchanged details and I wished her well for the rest of her stay in the city as I still had to explore the library and museum!
The Morgan Library itself is absolutely stunning. It was cool and quiet and you really could just take in the surrounds at your own pace. There were other exhibitions on but the study and library were amazing to see and have been preserved so well – it was just beautiful to experience.
With regards to the other exhibitions, the Philip Guston : Works on Paper was not something that took my fancy, though the exhibition for the Three Gutengberg Bibles was magnificently presented in a separate closed space. This truly allows you to experience the exhibition without distractions of large crowds or general bustling.
Other features of the library and museum include dining rooms and also a fantastic bookshop full of gifts and souvenirs. The planning of the spaces have been great as to allow the visitor not feel crowded and overwhelmed – which is what I find happens in way too many library/museum experiences. The best way I could describe the library, as opposed to all other times I have tried to experience it is, open.
Unfortunately, photos are not permitted inside so I have included some exterior shots here.