One of our favorite museums is the Morgan Library and Museum. And they have a fascinating exhibit on the how the museum came to be. In 1902, the American financier and collector J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) commissioned architect Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909) of the firm McKim, Mead & White to design a freestanding library next to his home on East 36th Street in New York. The exhibit features rarely seen architectural drawings, period photographs, and significant rare books and manuscripts from Morgan’s collection, this exhibition traces the design, construction, and early life of J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library. It pays homage to Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950), who became Morgan’s librarian in 1905 and the museum’s first director. (PS Check out the book review of a historical novel recently written about her.

The exhibit which runs to September 18, celebrates the completion of the exterior restoration and enhancement of this landmark building, which now anchors the campus of the Morgan Library & Museum.  Get the details.