Morgan Library & Museum
The main building | |
Former name | Pierpont Morgan Library |
|---|---|
| Established | 1906 (private library) March 28, 1924 (public institution) |
| Location | 225 Madison Avenue (at East 36th Street), Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°44′57″N 73°58′53″W / 40.74917°N 73.98139°W |
| Type | Museum and research library |
| Collection size | 350,000 |
| Visitors | 274,000 (fiscal year 2019) |
| Founder | J. P. Morgan |
| Director | Colin B. Bailey |
| Architect | Charles Follen McKim (main building) Benjamin Wistar Morris (main building annex) Isaac Newton Phelps (231 Madison Avenue) Renzo Piano and Beyer Blinder Belle (expansion) |
| Public transit access | Subway: at Grand Central–42nd Street at 33rd Street Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M34 SBS, M34A SBS, M42, Q32 |
| Website | themorgan |
J. Pierpont Morgan Library | |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000544 |
| NYSRHP No. | 06101.000434 |
| NYCL No. | 0239, 1119, 2114 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966 (main building) |
| Designated NHL | November 13, 1966 (main building) |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | May 17, 1966 (main building exterior) March 23, 1982 (main building interior) February 26, 2002 (231 Madison Avenue exterior) |
The Morgan Library & Museum (originally known as the Pierpont Morgan Library and colloquially known the Morgan) is a museum and research library in New York City, New York, U.S. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J. P. Morgan, the institution is housed at 225 Madison Avenue in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. As of 2024, the museum is directed by Colin B. Bailey and governed by a board of trustees.
The site was formerly occupied by several Phelps family residences, one of which was sold to J. P. Morgan in 1880. After collecting thousands of objects in the late 19th century, Morgan erected the main library building between 1902 and 1906, with Belle da Costa Greene serving as its first librarian for more than four decades. The library was made a public institution in 1924 by J. P. Morgan's son John Pierpont Morgan Jr., in accordance with his father's will, and further expansions were completed in 1928, 1962, and 1991. The Morgan Library was renamed the Morgan Library & Museum after the completion of a major expansion in 2006. Further renovations were completed in 2010 and 2022.
The Morgan Library & Museum is composed of several structures. The main building was designed by Charles McKim of the firm of McKim, Mead and White, with an annex designed by Benjamin Wistar Morris. A 19th-century Italianate brownstone house at 231 Madison Avenue, built by Isaac Newton Phelps, is also part of the grounds. The complex includes three additional structures, including a glass entrance building designed by Renzo Piano and Beyer Blinder Belle. The main building and its interior is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark, while the house at 231 Madison Avenue is a designated city landmark.
The Morgan Library & Museum's collection has more than 350,000 objects, which include illuminated manuscripts, authors' original manuscripts, books, and sheets of music. The Morgan also houses collections of drawings, photographs, paintings, maps, and other objects. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum has hosted temporary exhibitions, as well as events such as concerts and lectures. Both the collection and the original building's architecture have received praise over the years, while the annexes' architecture has received mixed commentary.