The incredible story of the first director of the Morgan Library: a visionary Black woman who walked confidently in an early 20th-century man's world of wealth and privilege
When J.P. Morgan's personal library opened as a public institution in 1924, the choice for its first director was an obvious one: Belle da Costa Greene (1879-1950). Not only had she organized and cataloged the collection, she had significantly expanded its holdings and displayed its treasures in curated exhibitions. While she was famous and well known for her librarianship in her lifetime, few people also knew that she had been born to a prominent Black family, and by her early 20s was passing as white in New York City.
After Greene was hired by J.P. Morgan in 1905, she emerged as one of the highest-paid women in America and commanded respect in a field dominated by men. She spent millions of dollars on Morgan's behalf to acquire outstanding medieval manuscripts, rare printed books and works of art. Following Morgan's death she continued to work with his son, who established the library as a public institution. All told, she headed the Morgan for 43 years and was single-handedly responsible for turning it into one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the United States.
Published to coincide with the centennial of the museum and of Greene's appointment as director, Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian's Legacy presents a thematic collection of essays with new research on her family, education, portraits, professional networks and her own art collection, while also engaging with larger themes such as race in America, gender and culture, and the history of Black librarianship. The book offers a full picture of Greene on her own terms and in her own words--revealing her rich career as a curator, collector, library executive and dynamic New Yorker.
Industry Reviews
A passionate lover of books, Bella da Costa Greene helped to transform the vast personal library of J. Pierpont Morgan into one of the world's most treasured research libraries and museums. Yet in her many years of unlocking the wonders of learning through reading as the library's director, Greene's own story-and family tree-remained a mystery, tucked away in the hidden history of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow. Now, in this breathtaking volume, Greene's complicated life and choices are revealed more fully than ever before, and what they tell us about the odyssey of race in America is as astonishing as it is tragic. -- Henry Louis Gates Jr. * Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University *
This gorgeously illustrated volume draws on rich new scholarship to illuminate the astonishing story of Belle da Costa Greene. Mysteries will remain, yet the Morgan's catalogue and centennial exhibition present for the first time a 360-degree view of what Greene herself called 'a grand life.' -- Jean Strouse * author of Morgan, American Financier *
Belle da Costa Greene was a phenomenal librarian and leader who defied cultural expectations and limitations. Her sense of style, sophistication and elegance fused with scholarship made her a woman for the ages. Her enduring legacy is far-reaching and this is why her celebrated career needs to be amplified and told. -- Carla Hayden * Librarian of Congress *
