Moreover

AFTER three years of renovation, New York’s most treasured library has reopened to the public. Other museums may have their large, blockbuster canvases, but the Morgan, filled with prints, drawings, books and manuscripts, has a unique sense of the precious. The museum was born in the early 20th century as the personal library of Pierpont Morgan, who—in addition to ruling over America’s steel industry, banks and railroads—was an avid collector.

He asked Charles McKim, one of the era’s greatest architects, to design a library to house his growing collection; by 1906 a small Renaissance palazzo had risen on 36th street. Since 1924, when the library became public, the Morgan has spread into adjacent buildings; the challenge of the latest renovation was to expand the museum without changing its scale. Renzo Piano’s additions succeed in giving the Morgan the essentials of a modern museum (large gift shop, restaurant, auditorium, learning centre), while maintaining a sense of intimacy. Mr Piano’s most visible contribution is a glass atrium to complement McKim’s original building: the effect is that of an Italian piazza, complete with tables where a tired visitor can sip an espresso.

The opulent rooms of McKim’s library, thankfully left untouched, are some of the most remarkable in New York—what was once Morgan’s study (shown above) has red walls, a 16th-century coffered ceiling, Swiss stained-glass windows and majestic Italianate furniture. But the museum’s greatest asset is its collection, which includes seventh-century Coptic Gospels, three Gutenberg bibles and an array of small Renaissance paintings. The most extraordinary items are those that give us a glimpse into the mind of a master: witness a sketch by Degas; Galileo’s notes on the satellites of Jupiter, jotted down on an unfolded envelope; and Thoreau’s journal, in which he describes an encounter with a loon on Walden Pond. We can go elsewhere to see the finished work—the Morgan allows us to see its evolution.

The Morgan Library, 225 Madison Ave (at 36th St). Tel: +1 (212) 685-0008. Open: Tues-Thurs 10.30am-5.30pm; Fri 10.30am-9pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-6pm. Visit the museum’s website for further information.