This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Morgan Library and Museum as a public institution. As part of the commemoration, the Morgan has put together an exhibition about the life and career of its first director, Belle da Costa Greene. Columbia librarians collaborated with Greene long before the Morgan was open to the public, when Greene was still Mr. Morgan’s personal librarian. She was a key partner and contributor to the Columbia library exhibitions. Greene also has a more personal connection to Columbia.

The Columbia Library (now known as Low Library) used to have a “Bibliographic Museum” in room 307 (now 311). This space was filled with display cases for temporary exhibitions such as the one in 1904 featuring J. Pierpont Morgan’s illuminated manuscripts. For these exhibitions, the University Librarian James Canfield would work with Morgan’s nephew, Junius Morgan, on which materials could be on loan from Mr. Morgan’s Library. In 1905, on Junius’ own recommendation, Morgan hired Belle da Costa Greene as his personal librarian. From then on, the Columbia librarians would work with Greene for all their exhibitions involving Morgan’s materials. 

These were extremely popular exhibitions. In 1906, Columbia held a medieval manuscript show, featuring 63 items from the Morgan library. Originally, the exhibition was scheduled for three weeks and was open during weekday afternoons. Three weeks later, the exhibition had to be held over for an extra week, including a Saturday and with extended hours every day. In total, Columbia welcomed 12,683 visitors eager to see Mr. Morgan’s medieval manuscripts, including 982 guests in one afternoon alone. In November 1908, Columbia hosted another exhibition featuring items from Mr. Morgan’s collection, only this time they featured “original manuscripts of famous books and other writings by distinguished authors.” This was yet another blockbuster show: 17,000 visitors came to Columbia to see these literary treasures. 

But then, it happened. In October 1932, Columbia held an exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s death. This time, the Morgan Library generously loaned 27 manuscripts, letters and other items for a grand exhibition in Avery Library. On Tuesday, October 25, Columbia Librarian Roger Howson had to give Greene the worst possible news: a volume of the Morgan’s manuscript of Guy Mannering had been stolen from its display case. This volume was not the most valuable in the show (or even in the display case) but it was the cornerstone of the great library. It had been purchased by Morgan’s father, Junius S. Morgan, in 1882 as a gift to his son and, as such, was the first author’s manuscript owned by Morgan. Police were called in and all other items on loan from the Morgan were returned that very same day. But the matter was kept quiet–not even the staff was informed. The hope was that the thief would make contact and that some sort of private arrangement could be made. A month later, in November 1932, with no leads, the Police made an appeal to other police departments in the US and Europe. This appeal was soon picked up by the press and the theft became international news. But even with all the publicity, there were still no leads for months. 

How the thief managed to pick the lock and remove the volume from Avery is a mystery. But what happened next, to this day, remains an even bigger mystery. On Friday, April 14, 1933, the manuscript was returned to the Morgan Library. One of the fullest accounts appeared in TIME magazine (May 1933):

A man appeared in John P. Morgan’s outer office. He said he had come about Mr. Morgan’s manuscript of Vol. I of Sir Walter Scott’s Guy Mannering, mysteriously stolen from a loan exhibition last autumn at Columbia University (TIME, Dec. 5). He was whisked in at once to Mr. Morgan. For five months world police had been watching pawnshops and “fences” for the MS. The man said quietly, “Would you be interested in getting back Guy Mannering on a basis of no questions asked, no money paid?” Mr. Morgan said, “Yes.” The man left and soon a messenger brought the manuscript to the Morgan Library.

In his annual report for 1933, Howson could not find the words to share his appreciation for Greene during this trying period. She was “consideration itself, sincere and without reservations.”

Finally, as was noted at the start of this post, Greene has an even earlier and closer connection to Columbia. By 1902, the Greene family had moved to Morningside Heights when Belle’s brother, Russell de Costa Greene, attended the Columbia School of Engineering. The family lived at 507 West 112th Street. Russell graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1906. At the University Archives, we have one of Russell’s field books, “City Survey, Bridge Abutments” from June-July, 1904. When Russell’s alumni class celebrated its 25th anniversary, he listed his hobbies as “collecting etchings, Japanese prints, and first editions.” Another bibliophile in the family.

The Morgan Library exhibition “Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy” runs through May 4, 2025.