Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-01


Boo-,s-, Is--a and Tapestries Gath
cred TroI.s f,nds OF Earth--wonder-
of thc Museum.
The finishing touch to the interior of
J. Pierpont Morgan's private museum
OF art was given recently by the laying
Of 100000 worth Of oriental carpets
In the various rooms, says the New
York World Although the artisans
have ended their task. there is much
60 be done before the museum VIII be
the remarkable theseurus Of art that
its owner has desl gned. When its pur-
pose is realized II viii be the most
costly and artistlcally valuable private
assemblage In the world Of rare books
paintings OF the old and modern mas
tiers and antique manuscripts. tapes
tries and Scriptures. IL Is estimated
by friend familiar with Mr. MOrgan's
acquisitions during the last decade that
his collection Is worth more than 500
100000
But many OF these objects OF art are
still I'm the countries OF Europe where
they were purchased. and there they
remain until the tariff laws are shaped
more TO Mr.. Morgan's view. Meantime
men are busy gathering from places
within the duty lines the treasures that
are 20 be stored I'm his museum vaults.
hung upon it's walls or set upon It's
pedestals.
The building. which Is a model OF
classic beauty. stands In East Thirty
sixth street. New York. n few yards
across a lawn from the conservatory
OF Mr.. Morgans home, which Is at the
corner of Madison avenue. From his
home TO the museum Mr. Morgan is
able to so In stormy weather without
breathing the outer air. This Is accom-
pllshed 10y an underground passage that
leads from staircase I'm the conserva-
tory 10 the vaults that contain art
treasures Earnered from the ends or
the earth
The vaults. made OF steel, are In
the basement which extends the entire
length OF the building. The ceiling
arched with masonry. Is OF good
height. and the great apartment
gloomy enough In n dim light. can be
made cheerful as day by electric H.
Elimination. Here are stored portable
0nlNNAN ANW ANAN anu NA NAAut 100 kEEAA
20 be left IN the large open chambers
overhead. They are kept within the
closed vaults except when their owner
wishes 10 have them brought out for
the view Of himself or friends There
Is an original manuscript OF the Per
sian poet Omar Khayyam. on shelves
IN one vault are parchments covered
with the light. flowing strokes that de
note the Oldest Greek manuscripts
Several OF them are earlier than the
Christian era. There are Latin manu-
scripts OF the various periods-Roman
antique, Merovlngian, Lombardian. Car
lovingian and Gothic. with its arti6
cially pointed characters
A massive door swings, the lights are
flashed. and the visitor beholds illumi-
mated manuscripts that represent for
tune, Egyptian paper or screeds In the
Byzantine styles. In other vaults are
English or French parchments. with
their delicate tints OF blue and green;
IN still others. ancient writings OF Italy
and Spain, with initial letters that de
pict animals and flowers In bright col
ors and gold.
One OF the r9rest manuscripts OF the
collection is Chinese. 1t is a thousand
years old. There is no binding. Each
sheet Is detached The writing Is upon
blue paper. The characters are white
On some of the shelves stand weird
figures carved IN ivory, plain for the
most part but here and there one that
is known 10 the Greek antiquarian as
chryselephantine work. This Is ivory
overlaid with plates or gold. All along
the walls the vaults are ranged. On
one side there are priceless treasures
of paint and canvass. works OF the old
masters. Some OF these are to be
hung, but most OF them will remain In
their gloomy stronghold, to receive the
light only when some favored eve
would see
The main floor. the one entered from
the street, as the great bronze doors
open. has but one chamber on its east
side. This is the library. 1t is stocked
already with rare yolumns but there
are thousands more TO come from over
seas. when the tariff is adjusted. At
present the shelves. which are OF
bronze, rise only to height OF six
feet on all sides Of the room Ii Is Mr.
Morgan's plan to Increase the shelf
capacity as the influx OF books de
maDds. All the volumes are behind
glass. GObeiin tapestry that cost
$4,000 decOrates one wall above the
book shelves. and where the walls are
not covered they show delicate buf
The ceilings are OF beautiful simplicity
In blue and green.
AT the end OF the foyer there Is a
room devoted to books that by collect
ors are regarded as some Of the great
est prizes in the world They are rarer
and in other respects more valuable
than those in the main library. Many
books here are said TO be worth as
much as II each page were ten dollar
bin, and they have three. sometimes
i've hundred pages