J. Pierpont Morgan's Library: Building the Bookman's Paradise

This beautifully illustrated publication celebrates the first-ever restoration of the exterior of J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library—the historic heart of the Morgan Library & Museum.

In 1902, J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) commissioned architect Charles Follen McKim of the firm McKim, Mead & White to design a freestanding library next to his home on East 36th Street in New York. Filled with the financier’s collection of rare books, manuscripts, and other works of scholarly significance, the Library transitioned to a public institution in the 1920s and became known as one of the most remarkable cultural landmarks in the U.S.

Honoring the designers, tradesmen, artists, and builders who created the Library more than a century ago, this book celebrates the completion of the exterior restoration and enhancement of the historical building, which now anchors the campus of the Morgan Library & Museum. Essays offer detailed accounts of the original design and construction of the Library within the context of early twentieth-century American architecture and Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood; the history of J. Pierpont Morgan’s book collecting; and the museum’s recent efforts to restore the Library’s facade and garden. The publication features rarely seen architectural drawings, period photographs, images of objects from the Morgan’s collection, and stunning new photography of the Morgan campus.

Published by the Morgan Library & Museum in association with Scala Arts Publishers, Inc.

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