The Historic J P. Morgan Museum and Librarian Belle da Costa Greene

In the heart of Manhattan nestled at 36th Street and Madison Avenue, stands the famous Morgan Library and Museum.  Behind its marble facade and priceless manuscripts lies a story as compelling as any novel it holds–a story shaped by a brilliant bold woman named Belle da Costa Greene. 

When financier J. Pierpont Morgan set out to build a private library to house his rare book and manuscript collection, he envisioned a temple of knowledge.   Designed by McKim, Mead and White and completed in 1906, the library looked like a Renaissance palace.

But Morgan needed more than architecture, he needed a trusted eye to build his collection.

Enter Belle da Costa Greene.   In 1905 Belle then her in her mid-twenties, was hired as Morgan’s personal librarian.   Sharp, stylish and fiercely intelligent, Belle quickly rose in influence, becoming the gatekeeper to one of the world’s greatest collections of literary and artistic treasures.

But Belle was hiding a powerful secret.  

Belle was born Belle Marion Greener, the daughter of Richard Greener, the first black graduate of Harvard.   But Belle and her mother facing the harsh realities of racial prejudice in early 20th century America, made a faithful decision, they would pass as white.  

To further conceal her heritage Belle adopted the exotic-sounding “Da Costa” surname, claiming Portuguese ancestry.

This hidden identity shadowed her entire career.   In public she dazzled, fluent in several languages, smoking long cigarettes, attending society events in Paris and New York, and trading barbs with European art dealers, who underestimated her.

In private she lived with the weight of maintaining a fabricated past.

With Belle’s guidance, Morgan amassed a staggering collection: illuminated manuscripts, rare books, prints, drawings and letters from figures like Charles Dickens, Napoleon and Galileo.   Her taste was impeccable, her negotiating skills became legendary.

After Morgan’s death in 1913, Belle became the first director of the public Morgan Library continuing her life’s work and preserving his legacy as she built one of the world’s most respected institutions.  

Belle da Costa Greene remained at the helm of the Morgan until her retirement in 1948.   

She left behind not only a world-class institution, but a trail blazing example of a woman navigating and triumphing over the elitist and exclusionary art world. 

It wasn’t until decades later that her racial identity became widely known.   She never married and was rumored to be J.P.’s mistress and he left her $50,000 in his will, which would be worth $1.6 million today. 

The Morgan Library today is open to the public, a place where visitors can marvel at Gutenberg Bibles, medieval masterpieces and Belle’s old office, preserved just as she left it.

It is a sanctuary of beauty and knowledge shaped by a woman who defied the odds and left an indelible mark on literary history.