October 14, 2010
Before the restored furniture arrived, many cosmetic touches—such as the makeover of the bank-like manuscript vault—were carried out in Pierpont Morgan's study. The velvet curtain shielding the vault was removed, the vault interior repainted, the original runner conserved and restored, and a new display was installed on the vault shelves. Visitors—now able to see fully inside the vault for the first time—will have a greater sense of the importance of this secret room.
Morgan needed a secure place to store high-value manuscripts, books, and objects brought to him by dealers for consideration, and to house his most valued acquisitions, particularly medieval manuscripts. McKim designed this vault accordingly, lining it with steel and securing it with a bank vault door and combination lock. Manuscripts were kept there from Morgan's day until the building closed in 2003 for the museum's expansion project. Upon reopening in 2006, the precious volumes formerly stored in the West Room Chamber were relocated to a state-of-the-art subterranean vault designed by Renzo Piano. Now the vault in Morgan's study will contain some of the original boxes that housed his manuscripts, along with several small bronze objects he purchased, and the massive tomes he published about his many collections.
Furniture from Mr. Morgan's study received a much-needed overhaul and was expertly reupholstered with fabric and trim that captures the effect of the original coverings and is consistent with Morgan's taste. His desk chair, two side chairs, and a settee were returned to the study, along with other furnishings, after the paintings were rehung.
The vault which is located in Mr. Morgan's Study. Equipped with a bank vault door and combination lock, Morgan used the vault as a secure place to store high value manuscripts, books, and objects. The curtain that hangs in this photo will be removed, and the empty shelves will be filled with original storage boxes as well as books and small works of art.
