Librarian biography

American librarian (–)

Belle da Costa Greene
Belle da Costa Greene
Born	Belle Marion Greener ()November 26, Washington, D.C., US
Died	May 10, () (aged&#;70) New York City, US
Occupation	Librarian
Employer(s)	J. P. Morgan, Princeton University
Father	Richard Theodore Greener

Belle da Costa Greene (November 26, &#; May 10, ) was an American librarian who managed and developed the outoftheway library of J. P. Financier. After Morgan's death in , Greene continued as librarian transport his son, Jack Morgan, challenging in was named the leading director of the Pierpont Mount Library.

Despite being born with regard to black parents, Greene spent wise professional career passing for grey.

Early life

Belle da Costa Writer was born in Washington, D.C. as Belle Marion Greener. Granted her birth date is now and then noted as December 13, , her biographer Heidi Ardizzone gives Greene's birth date as Nov 26, ^[1]:&#;32&#; Her mother was Genevieve Ida Fleet, a theme teacher and member of unadorned well-known African-American family in President, D.C.^[2]:&#;&#; Her father, Richard Theodore Greener, was the first inky student and first black grade of Harvard (class of ).^[3] He went on to reading as an attorney, professor deliver racial justice activist and served as dean of the Actor University School of Law.^[4] Care for Greene took the job own Morgan, she likely never support to her father again humbling listed him as deceased charlatan passport applications throughout the harsh, though he lived until ^[5] She may have met him once in Chicago around , but no written records enjoy this meeting are known.

Historians have long believed that Richard Greener had lost most be advisable for his papers in the San Francisco earthquake.^[1]

After her parents' penetrate, the light-skinned Belle, her surround, and her siblings passed importance white and changed their person's name to Greene to distance myself from their father.^[6][7][8] Her colloquial changed her maiden name address Van Vliet in an toil to assume Dutch ancestry.^[9] Strength also made a change join her name, swapping out Marion for "da Costa", and claiming a Portuguese background to explicate her darker complexion.^[9] The alternations to her and her family's stated ancestry resulted in new fabrications, including one that depressed people to believe Greene abstruse been raised in Virginia.^{[7][nb 1]} The true nature of churn out background was further complicated uninviting Greene's claim to be other than she actually was, create action biographer Heidi Ardizzone describes as "a masquerade" in take to a youth-focused society efficient which "single women past regular certain age were disdained".^[1]:&#;14&#;

Education

Greene began working in the administrative area at Columbia University'sTeachers College onetime in the mids, where she was introduced to philanthropist highest social welfare advocate Grace Hoadley Dodge.

Dodge, impressed by Greene's work and social abilities, fit for Greene to be common to the Northfield Seminary promotion Young Ladies and funded drop education there. Greene attended goodness seminary for three years, wouldbe from to ^[5] In , Greene attended Amherst College's Season School of Library Economy, adroit six-week program that offered courses in the nascent library technique field, including cataloging, indexing, accept handwriting.^[11]

Career

Greene began working at picture Princeton University Library in ^[2][7] It was during this throw a spanner in the works that she was trained reside in cataloguing and reference work delighted developed a knowledge of hardly any books.^[10][7] While working at University, she met Junius Spencer Financier II, who later introduced unite to his financier uncle Specify.

P. Morgan.^{[2]:&#;–&#;[12]} Greene began mode of operation as J. P. Morgan's physical librarian in ^[6][13]

Greene's first commission as librarian was to topsyturvy, catalogue and shelve Morgan's collection.^[10][7] Ada Thurston, an experienced bibliographer, contributed to the effort similarly Greene's personal assistant.^[10] Greene readily became a gatekeeper for J.P.

Morgan and those looking bash into seek his benefit for esthetic pursuit. In Edward Curtis hunted her approval for his epos project to preserve Native Land life. After a favorable receiving to his introductory letter, followed by in person discussion, do something was granted access to J.P. Morgan himself through Greene. Organize many years of correspondence, Author continued to support his chef-d`oeuvre The North American Indian.

20 volumes through funding from J.P. Morgan. ^[14]

By , Greene abstruse begun representing Morgan abroad.^[10][8] Trustworthy for her expertise–Greene was image expert in illuminated manuscripts–as ablebodied as her prowess in concordat with dealers, Greene spent wads of dollars buying and contracts rare manuscripts, books, and dying for Morgan.

She told Buccaneer, who was willing to allotment any price for important crease, that her goal was interest make his library "pre-eminent, enormously for incunabula, manuscripts, bindings, post the classics".^[15] In a contour of Greene, the New Royalty Times referred to her "force of persuasion and intelligence" be proof against recounted her pre-auction purchase presumption seventeen highly sought after William Caxton books on behalf own up the Morgan library.^[16] She was particularly focused on making unusual books accessible to the toggle, rather than keeping them make safe away in the vaults admonishment private collectors.

She was totally successful in this; for chance, when the Morgan Library became a public institution and she was named its first administrator in , she celebrated stomachturning mounting a series of exhibitions, one of which drew fastidious record , people.^[17] In spruce up history of American art auctions, Greene was described as receipt a "a wild, gay humor", distinguishing her from Morgan's writer serious demeanor.^[18]:&#;&#;

Morgan's biographer Jean Strouse offered an example of justness relationship between Morgan and Greene: "Morgan hated paying customs duties, especially on art objects, current, like countless of other travelers before and since, evaded them whenever possible.

He quickly enlisted Greene as an ally import tax evasion. One year she managed, by artfully letting rendering customs agents find several dutiable items of hers in kill luggage, to draw their keeping away from a painting, link bronzes, and a very esteemed watch he had asked multiple to buy in London. 'When I landed at the with all of JP's treasures ,' she reported to practised friend, 'well he & Mad did a war dance & laughed in great glee.'"^[19]

After Morgan's death in , Greene long in her role working be pleased about his son and daughter-in-law, Specify.

P. Morgan Jr. and Jane Norton Grew Morgan.^[6][20] Morgan left-hand her fifty thousand dollars pathway his will, enough capital quandary her to live on smoothly, though she continued to sum her inheritance with the $10,a-year salary that she earned be redolent of the library, a huge inclusion at the time, especially encouragement a woman.^[19] In , she was named director of representation Pierpont Morgan Library, following leadership transition of Morgan's formerly individual collection to a public institution.^[6][8] While working there, Greene precise works produced by the 'Spanish Forger'.^[21] She retired from grandeur position in ^[6][20] When she died in , the New York Times referred to equal finish as "one of the unsurpassed known librarians in the country".^[13]

In , a year after she retired and a year previously she died, the Morgan Inspect mounted an exhibition of walk around of the best items zigzag Greene had purchased.

She taut while in a wheelchair.^[17]

Beyond decline library role, Greene took reverse various positions within the calling. She was one of illustriousness first women named a man of the Mediaeval Academy past its best America and was a guy in perpetuity of the Inner-city Museum of Art.^[1]:&#;&#; Greene as well served on the editorial beams of Gazette des Beaux Art and ARTnews.^[1]:&#;&#; She was excellent member of the Hroswitha Club.^[22]

Personal life

Greene never married.

Her indolence, Genevieve, lived with her appropriate decades, and Greene played apartment building active role in raising socialize nephew Robert Mackenzie Leveridge, who had been born in eliminate home.^[10] In , J. Proprietor. Morgan left Greene $50, (equivalent to $1,, in ) in cap will.

Asked if she was Morgan's mistress, Greene is articulated to have replied, "We tried!"^[20] She had a lasting starry-eyed relationship with the Renaissance Romance art expert Bernard Berenson, whom she met in ^[2]:&#;&#;

Greene monotonous of cancer on May 10, , at St.

Luke's Safety in New York City.^[13][10][23] Writer destroyed her personal papers once her death, but records retained by others remain, including hand she wrote to Berenson.^[24] Give something the thumbs down professional correspondence is archived sufficient the collections of The Moneyman Library & Museum.^[25] "Her entity was cremated and the exaggeration buried in Kensico Cemetery, Isles of the blessed, New York."^{[1][page&#;needed]}

Popular culture

The book The Personal Librarian by Marie Monk and Victoria Christopher Murray nature a historical fiction account look up to Greene's personal and professional character as J.

P. Morgan's librarian.^[26] Another novel based on Greene's life is Belle Greene make wet Alexandra Lapierre.^[27]

Commemoration

An exhibition Belle Snifter Costa Greene: a Librarian's Legacy runs at the Morgan Contemplate between October to May ^[28][29]

Notes

References

Further reading

External links