What else is new? The weathermen goofed again. Not a speck of snow on the ground so I might as well take advantage of this heat wave of 35 degree F, never mind that it's raining.
Destination: The Morgan Library and Museum
The museum has a vast collection of medieval and renaissance illuminated manuscripts, drawings and prints by the great masters, a copy of the Gutenberg bible, music and original manuscripts by Mozart and Beethoven and printed books and bindings. All these housed in a magnificent brownstone which in recent years has expanded to three more pavilions to increase exhibition space. The steel-and-glass pavilions were designed by the brilliant Renzo Piano. Probably smaller in scale than the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it has a diverse collection covering more than ten centuries of historically and artistically significant work. The great financier Pierpont Morgan started this collection in 1890 and in 1924, J.P. Morgan, Jr. transformed the library into a public institution in memory of his father.
Today's exhibition which runs thru March 29th is entitled: Protecting the Word: Bookbindings of the Morgan. It is a rich sampling of the artwork demonstrating the skill and artistry of bookbinding at its finest. Fifty of the most important pieces out of its over 1,000 volumes are displayed, the earliest is a Flemish gilt silver bound religious book circa 1060.
This was one of the most informative visits I've had to a library and museum. All types of binding from the different regions of the globe over the course of 14 centuries were represented. From the Coptic binding using goat skin and papyrus, jeweled binding, gold filigree illuminated manuscripts, textile, wood, cut leather, to the 20th century art deco style, the decorative techniques are masterpieces of the artisans of the time.
Of particular interest is the Holy Bible covered with textile embroidered with the coat of arms of Charles I circa 1638. A remarkable piece of work.
Of historical importance was the practice all over Western Europe in medieval times of chaining books to the shelves and reading desks. This undoubtedly was due to the fact that books were difficult to replace and could not be left to the hands of the careless reader or a possible thief. An example of this type of chained book was on exhibit. This method was also largely used as a means of storing books in Cathedrals of England and Italy. I learned that Chained Libraries still exist in England. It was hard for me not to get excited about this new wealth of information. It has enriched me immensely
I thank my ex-boss of many years, a rare book collector, Dr. Martin Maximillian Bacharach for introducing me to this place and for getting me started in collecting illuminated manuscripts namely The Book of Hours. Wherever you are, I still have the Rohan Master and it still looks as new as the day you gave it to me.
A good two hours in the museum was well worth it. It was pouring rain when I got out and off I went to the next part of the loop - the New York Public Library Main Branch.
See you later.
