Morgan Library - Adrianna Borgia

Only a block or two away from the New York Public Library for Humanities and Social Sciences, the Morgan Library was (thankfully) a very easy place to find. Even better, it’s a great place to find a variety of street vendors to get a quick lunch from. Anyway, once inside the museum library, my mind went into architectural overload. It felt as if I was passing through different time zones as we went from the bright, extremely modern glass lobby to the dimly lit rooms of painted ceilings and marble floors. I feel that the architect’s intention to give the lobby the same atmosphere of an Italian piazza actually succeeds in a strange way. Just as Italy’s piazza’s encompass both old and new, so does the Morgan Library, for it contains an interesting balance of past and modern times. Seriously, where else could one view both a Gutenberg Bible and the works of Bob Dylan in one place?

Speaking of the exhibits, throughout our tour, I felt as if I was in bibliophile heaven. Being able to see William Blake’s Songs of Innocence was absolutely amazing in my mind. I’ve seen pictures of his hand made plates before, but never the real thing. They’re so intricately and uniquely designed, that I didn’t even have to read the label below the book to know who had written it. Blake’s poetry wasn’t the only thing that excited me in that room. It seemed like every time I went to the next display case, I found something that completely wowed me, whether or not I was familiar with the work. From miniature books, to Alice in Wonderland, to Babar sketches, to old Tarot cards, that single room seemed to contain enough to keep me in there for hours.

It was also interesting to see Morgan's library. As I read the titles in the locked shelves, a part of me wished that I was a rich entrepreneur in Industrial America so I could have my own cool library. What really amazed me though was when we spotted a first folio of Shakespeare just sitting on a shelf in Morgan's private study. On one level, it was just dumbfounding to think of what it would be like to actually own it, to have one of the most rare and sought after editions in the literary world in your possession, just sitting on your shelf like it's no big deal. On the other hand, it was also amazing to think about just how much money his shelf of Shakespeare editions cost. Just two books alone could account for over 2 million dollars! I wasn't merely staring at a literary masterpiece, but a small fortune. Most of all, it disappointed me that it wasn't on display. Perhaps it was because of conservation issues.

When it comes to conservation, the Morgan Library seems to be on the stricter end of the scale. Only graduate students and scholars are allowed to use the library, and only if they have 1) a recommendation and 2) an interesting topic. I can understand their concerns though, because a majority of their materials are hundreds of years old. Perhaps the New York Historical Society's library can afford to be more lax with their materials, for the history of our country isn't very old in comparison to that of Europe. Therefore, it's only natural that the librarians at the Morgan are more concerned about their books, for they want to ensure that they will be around for future generations to see as well.