“No price is too great for a work of unquestioned beauty and known authenticity”
—John Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913), the American financier and philanthropist
As The Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan marks its centennial with a landmark exhibition running through August 17, 2025, this storied institution honors not only a hundred years of astonishing acquisitions, but also the vision of the Morgan family and its stewardship over one of the world’s great collections of art, literature, and music.
Founded as the private library of financier John Pierpont Morgan, and later opened to the public in 1924 by his son J.P. “Jack” Morgan, the Morgan’s transformation from a Gilded Age treasury into one of New York’s major cultural destinations embodies the dynamism of American philanthropy. “From its inception, the Morgan was both an act of collecting and an act of generosity to future generations,” notes art historian Dr. Caroline Klein, whose recent catalogue essay describes the Morgan as “a living monument to the global pursuit of knowledge.”
A LEGACY BUILT BY THREE GENERATIONS
The institution’s roots stretch back to J.P. Morgan himself (1837–1913), one of America’s most powerful financiers. Beyond railroad and steel empires, Morgan channeled his vast fortune into the acquisition of incunabula—early printed books—illuminated manuscripts, old master drawings, and music scores, building a private hoard that reflected European connoisseurship on American soil. His son, Jack Morgan, inherited not only the collection but the sense of public service, opening the Pierpont Morgan Library as a public research center. “Jack saw the institution as a resource for New Yorkers and scholars around the world,” says museum director Colin B. Bailey.
The unsung hero was Belle da Costa Greene, Morgan’s librarian and the first director, who from 1906 onward shaped acquisitions, auctions, and gifts for forty years. As Bailey points out, “Greene’s expertise and vision shaped the Morgan as much as the Morgans themselves”.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS: A CENTURY OF CREATIVITY
The centennial exhibition, “A Celebration: Acquisitions in Honor of the Morgan’s Centennial,” presents exceptional purchases and gifts made in recent years, broadening the museum’s renown as a treasury of creative achievement. Among the most famous works on view:
• Two newly acquired manuscripts related to Leonardo da Vinci’s Treatise on Painting, which showcase the workshop’s influence and the transmission of Renaissance ideas
• Remarkable Renaissance and modern bookbindings, combining craftsmanship and historical significance
• Manuscripts connected to Queen Elizabeth I, Marie de’ Medici, Edgar Allan Poe, and jazz legend John Coltrane, illustrating the diversity and reach of the library’s holdings
• Photographs by Emmet Gowin and Frederick Sommer, and drawings by masters from Parmigianino and Annibale Carracci to modern icons Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, and Bridget Riley
The Morgan is also spotlighting previously unexhibited Rembrandt studies and literary manuscripts linked to Franz Kafka, revealing the breadth of its continuous acquisition program.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Art publications have praised the centennial curation. As Artnet Magazine notes, “The Morgan remains both an oasis for scholars and a wonder for the public, with each acquisition a new chapter in the book of civilization.” Leading historian Dr. Luis Martínez observes, “The Morgan’s holdings are a palimpsest of Western art and thought, but also of American aspiration—a testament to the marriage of wealth, learning, and stewardship.”
EMBRACING THE FUTURE: A CONTINUING EVOLUTION
Welcoming over 250,000 visitors a year onsite and more than seven million online, the Morgan continues to invest in accessibility, digitization, and outreach, aiming for a younger, more diverse audience while nurturing its research mission. Its new strategic plan shares these priorities, with staff committed “to expanding our role as a living library for the twenty-first century.”
The Morgan Library’s role in New York’s skyline continues to evolve. A brand-new JP Morgan headquarters is rising at 270 Park Avenue, connecting the financial legacy to the ongoing cultural mission. The new tower, expected to be among Manhattan’s most advanced and sustainable skyscrapers, signals the firm’s enduring investment in New York’s future and its heritage as a patron of the arts.
A WORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN: JAIME DIMON ON LEADERSHIP
Current JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon when asked about the significance of the centennial, reflected: “The Morgan Library is as much a symbol of the company’s commitment to the arts and learning as our Park Avenue headquarters is to financial innovation. It’s about preserving the past and investing in the future—values that guide our leadership. Stewardship and innovation are two sides of the same coin at JP Morgan.”
As this centennial year draws attention from all corners of the art and academic world, it’s clear that the Morgan Library & Museum’s journey—from a private library to an international beacon of culture—is just beginning its next chapter.
(Photographer: Michael de la Force, LIKE Magazine, 7.31.2025)
(Michael de la Force, LIKE® Magazine, 7.31.2025)
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