The Morgan

I had no idea what the Morgan Library was before entering its side-door last Monday afternoon. I had never been there nor had I ever heard of it. I was delighted to hear, however, that it was formerly the house of American financier JP Morgan, because I would go on to say "I took a field trip to JP Morgan's house today!" for the rest of the day. But besides that perk, I was very happy to see that it was really an extremely interesting collection that included letters, drafts, and manuscripts by Henry James, Edgar Allen Poe, Woody Allen, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and many more. Unfortunately, our group did not get to see any works from the "Beat" generation due to the main exhibit being closed, which are what I would have been most excited to see. After exploring a back corridor of the Morgan -- which, surprisingly, is not among the normal stops on the tour -- were led into an impressive old-looking room with wood-paneled walls, all covered with ornate gold accents. Our guide showed us several very interesting pieces of the collection, but what I found most interesting was 10+ foot scroll of a short story (which I cannot remember the name of) by Edgar Allen Poe. His handwriting was incredibly clear, and being rolled up for so long seemed to do a world of good for its condition, as it was still easy to read if you could manage to get up close. I also enjoyed taking a look at the Henry James letters, the scattered-ness of which only added to their poetic appeal, I'm sure. I would certainly enjoy exploring the actual exhibit of the Morgan Library when it is open to the public, but this private showing of non-exhibit materials was quite excellent.