New York City has hundreds of museums, and while I've only seen a handful of them in person, the Morgan Library and Museum has been on my bucket list since I moved to the city. Since I'm usually a homebody in January, I thought it was a good excuse to get out of the house and into some history for a Saturday afternoon. The house is stunning, with a portion set up with rotating art exhibits like a traditional museum, and part showcasing JP Morgan's personal library and studies. The domed atrium rivals those in Europe and the library was so incredible, I caught my breath when I first walked in. Over the years Morgan had collected rare books such as a Gutenberg Bible and the original copy of "A Christmas Carol", as well as original works of Jane Austen, Mozart, Beethoven, Picasso, and Rembrandt. The collection of Bibles from as early as the 1300s was astounding and there was even an artifact of what was rumored to be Jesus's cross displayed in glass. While it is not easy to see the scale in the photographs, the library is massive, with 3 stories of floor to ceiling book cases and a substantial fireplace flanking one wall. I spent hours reading the spines of everything eye level and even more time staring up at the ceiling to take in the incredible art and architecture.
I find the Gilded Age to be one of the most intriguing periods in American history. Some other Gilded Age favorites are the Newport Mansions, the Frick Collection, Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Biltmore Estate, Long Island's Gold Coast, and the Great Camps of the Adirondacks.
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