Time travel to a Gilded Age wonderland at the Morgan Library
Have you ever dreamed of strolling through the splendor of the Gilded Age*? I have often wondered what America looked like through this era of change and extremes. What secrets and treasures did the parlors and studies of great American homes contain? What fashions were popular, and what might a typical street scene have looked like, or better yet, a social soiree? Indeed, even my favorite artworks and novels hail from this period.
Of course, more than a century has passed, and to experience the Gilded Age firsthand is an impossibility. ... Or is it?
Here you will find such treasures as:
- The bejeweled 9th century Lindau Gospels
- An original 15th century Gutenberg Bible
- 17th century bound volumes of Shakespeare
- Drawings by Degas, van Gogh, Rembrandt and da Vinci
- And so, so much more
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| Mr. Morgan's library. |
The Morgan Library is one of those rare places where time has seemingly stood still-- a virtual portal to the New York City of old. As soon as you step into its grand halls, the 21st century hustle and bustle of Madison Avenue fades out of sight and mind. Replete with medieval tapestries, fine marble, rich leathers, ornate woodwork, and shelves upon shelves of books, you can almost smell the bygone era.
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| Ornate ceiling above the rotunda |
The Library was originally built to house John Pierpont Morgan's private collection of rare books and artwork (yes, that J. P. Morgan). In 1924, his son, J. P. Morgan Jr. opened the library to the public, honoring his father's wishes. In doing so, he gave to us one of the most precious stores of original texts and manuscripts, ancient tablets, music and drawings-- think Aladdin's cave of wonders.
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| A glimpse of Mr. Morgan's study. |
- The bejeweled 9th century Lindau Gospels
- An original 15th century Gutenberg Bible
- 17th century bound volumes of Shakespeare
- Drawings by Degas, van Gogh, Rembrandt and da Vinci
- And so, so much more
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| The priceless 9th century Lindau Gospels. |
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| A small sample of rare books, many of which you may recognize! |
Tickets are $20 for adults and $13 for seniors and students. If you're trying to save some dough (aren't we all?), the Library offers FREE admission on Friday evenings from 7pm - 9pm -- a perfect way to cap off the week.
For a stroll directly into New York City's 'gilded' past, the Morgan Library is sure to satisfy.
*I fully recognize that this era also represented a great deal of cultural collision and abject poverty, but that all was worlds (or at least miles) away from the glittering halls of the Gilded Age elite; we'll save that discussion for another post...
*I fully recognize that this era also represented a great deal of cultural collision and abject poverty, but that all was worlds (or at least miles) away from the glittering halls of the Gilded Age elite; we'll save that discussion for another post...