The Life of Belle da Costa Greene

Join us as Jeanne Johnson, docent at Princeton University Art Museum, as well as Morven Museum and Garden, presents the story of a phenomenal woman, Belle da Costa Greene, who became one of the most prominent librarians in American history. While cataloging and working with rare books at the Princeton University library, her work impressed the nephew of New York millionaire J. Pierpont Morgan, financier and investment banker of the late 1800s. Morgan hired Greene for the newly constructed Pierpont Morgan Library in 1906, which eventually led to her directorship of the Morgan Museum and Library. Becoming one of the most important people in Morgan’s life and his library, Greene worked at the library for over 43 years, internationally known for her auction bidding expertise. She toured the world in search of rare manuscripts and became a cutthroat bidder, even outbidding the British museum on several occasions. Years after her death, knowledge that Greene passed as white for her entire professional life  became known, explored and discussed.

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