Belle da Costa Greene
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Class Date: November 19th
Location: Your couch! See your weekly e-mail for Zoom link!
The Rise of the Robber Barons
The Rise of the Robber Barons
This week we are looking at the life of Belle da Costa Greene, the first director of the JP Morgan Library. No, really, this time we’re going to! We had to cancel last week, but we’re back on track and ready to dive in! Before we talk about her work, let’s review some background events of the time:
If you do nothing else this week, I highly recommend the PBS Documentary “The Gilded Age”. It’s just shy of 2 hours, narrated by Oliver Platt, and very well done. You can watch the entire documentary here:
1869 - Transcontinental Railroad completed
Constructed from 1863 - 1869, the railroad became the first continuous railroad line across the United States.
To watch a 6-minute CBS special on the steam locomotive rebuilt to celebrate the centennial of the Transcontinental Railroad, click here:
To watch a longer, more detailed story of the Transcontinental Railroad, check out the History Channel episode of ‘America: The Story of Us - The Transcontinental Railroad Unites’ here:
1870 - John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil
Rockefeller utilized the idea of horizontal integration, meaning his company controlled the manufacture and processing of almost all oil production, processing, marketing, and transportation. At one point, Standard Oil controlled 90% of the nation’s refineries and pipelines. They even built their own oil barrels as a company. This consolidation and control helped kickstart industrialization and the Gilded Age.
To see an 11 minute overview of John D. Rockefeller and his life, check out this video here:
November 10, 1871 - “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
Many American readers of The New York Herald anxiously followed the exploits of Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone. His expeditions into Africa had brought back much information about the continent. But after he returned to Africa in 1866, several years passed with no word from Livingstone. The Herald’s editor and publisher James Gordon Bennett realized what a boost it would be to circulation to find the explorer, so he sent his new young reporter, Henry Morton Stanley, to find him. To read about Henry Morton Stanley’s life, which is fascinating all by itself, click here:
To read about how Stanley found Dr. Livingstone and uttered those now famous words, click here:
1873 - Panic of 1873
Severe economic depression that was triggered by the failure of a major banking firm. Known as the Great Depression until 1929, it lasted several years and led to widespread unemployment. Rampant speculation, primarily in railroads, helped lead to the financial collapse. Outside of agriculture, railroads were the largest employers but involved significant amounts of money and risk.
1877 - The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The first major strike in the United States among laborers. Crossing multiple states, this strike and violence spread across states and led governors in 10 states to mobilize 60,000 militia members to break the strike and re-open rail traffic. Unfortunately, this strike helped to create conditions for violence against laborers in the 1880s and 90s. To read an overview of the strike and its impacts, check out this article from the Library of Congress:
1883 - The Brooklyn Bridge opens
Officially opening on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was a marvel of the day. Sightseers rushed to the bridge to stroll hundreds of feet above the East River and take in the views of New York from the highest vantage point at the time. But less than a week after the bridge opening, tragedy struck in the form of a panicked stampede that ultimately killed 12 people and injured hundreds more. To read about the disaster, click here:
1883 - Pendleton Act passes
This act got rid of the system of patronage or favoritism that had been used to reward loyalty and payments with government jobs. Following this act, federal government jobs, like postmaster, were awarded based on merit and the results of competitive exams. It put an end to the system of patronage, or ‘spoils’, and made public service much less politically motivated for the vast majority of the civil service.
1887 - Dawes Severalty Act
In an attempt to assimilate indigenous people and make resistance to reservations more difficult, the US government enacted the Dawes Severalty Act, breaking up Native reservations and distributing land to individual households. Any leftover land was sold for money for the U.S. government. Of the 130 million acres of Native reservations before the act, 90 million acres were sold to non-native buyers. The Act emphasised individual land ownership, rather than allowing tribal members to continue to practice unity, self-government, and honoring their culture of shared resources.
1888 - George Eastman markets the Kodak camera
George Eastman has been working on the art of photography for much of his life, attempting to make the process simpler and more accessible for people. He trademarked the name ‘Kodak’ in 1888 and began selling a camera with paper film. Eastman created the first amateur photographers, revolutionizing the world and the way we capture memories.
For a 2 ½ minute look at Eastman and his creation, check out this video here.
1890 - Sherman Antitrust Act passed
The Sherman Antitrust Act was the first Congressional move to limit businesses in forming monopolies through trusts. Many Americans were growing concerned about companies like Standard Oil, who were dominating the marketplace and stifling competition. While large business owners were growing rich, workers were struggling with poor working conditions and limited pay.
March 5, 1891 - Carnegie Hall Opens
As New York began to rise as an international capital for industrialization and culture, Carnegie Hall opened its doors to become a stalwart of the stage. For a wonderful overview and pictures of this iconic space, scroll through a Google guide here: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-birth-of-carnegie-hall-carnegie-hall/xwLSGVw2XO2JKQ?hl=en
1894 - Pullman Strike
At its peak, approximately a quarter million workers were on strike. Ultimately, the federal government intervened to put down the strike, violently. The strike represents a major turning point in labor relations in the United States. To read an overview of the strike and its significance, click here:
April 1896 - Athens hosts the first modern Olympic Games
The Olympics had been held in Ancient Greece for many years, but largely died out until a French nobleman named Pierre de Coubertin decided to institute an education program that embraced the ancient Greek idea of balanced mind and body development. He convinced 13 countries to take part in the first modern games in Athens. The games featured –cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track & field, weightlifting, and wrestling. The first Olympic games featured only men, but by the second games in 1900, women’s sports were included.
1902-1904 - Ida Tarbell published “The History of the Standard Oil Company”
Ida Tarbell was a famed investigative journalist, known as a ‘muckraker’, who often wrote about unethical business practices. She studied John D. Rockefeller and his creation of Standard Oil Company for years before publishing about the aggressive techniques he employed to create a giant monopoly. McClure’s Magazine published the work in 19 installments and it caught national attention.
1905 - The Niagara Movement begins
A group of Black intellectuals, including W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter, formed an organization to call for civil and political rights for African Americans. The organization served as a frontrunner for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the civil rights movement. To read more about this group, please click here: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/niagara-movement
1906 - The Jungle is published
Another muckraker, Upton Sinclair exposed food safety practices (or lack thereof) in the meat processing industry. His descriptions of rotten and contaminated meat shocked the American public and prompted new federal legislation on food safety.
That is where our timeline leaves us for this week! Check below for additional reading resources and check your e-mail for a link to this week’s lecture!
Recommended Reading
Recommended Reading
To read more about this period, here are some great books to get you started:
For kids:
Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller
This is the true story of the renowned African American author Richard Wright and his determination to borrow books from the public library that turned him away because of his color.
As a young black man in the segregated South of the 1920s, Wright was hungry to explore new worlds through books, but was forbidden from borrowing them from the library. This touching account tells of his love of reading, and how his unwavering perseverance, along with the help of a co-worker, came together to make Richard's dream a reality.
An inspirational story for children of all backgrounds, Richard Wright and the Library Card shares a poignant turning point in the life of a young man who became one of this country's most brilliant writers, the author of Native Son and Black Boy.
Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude (A New York Public Library Book) by Josh Funk
Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude is the first picture book about Patience and Fortitude, the two lion statues that faithfully guard the New York Public Library. When Patience goes missing, Fortitude realizes the secret to Patience's disappearance may be within the Library itself.
For adults:
BOOK RECOMMENDATION - Historical fiction
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian
Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian
Published with Morgan Library & Museum.
When J.P. Morgan’s personal library opened as a public institution in 1924, the choice for its first director was an obvious one: Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950). Not only had she organized and cataloged the collection, she had significantly expanded its holdings and displayed its treasures in curated exhibitions. While she was famous and well known for her librarianship in her lifetime, few people also knew that she had been born to a prominent Black family, and by her early 20s was passing as white in New York City.
After Greene was hired by J.P. Morgan in 1905, she emerged as one of the highest-paid women in America and commanded respect in a field dominated by men. She spent millions of dollars on Morgan’s behalf to acquire outstanding medieval manuscripts, rare printed books and works of art. Following Morgan’s death she continued to work with his son, who established the library as a public institution. All told, she headed the Morgan for 43 years and was single-handedly responsible for turning it into one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the United States.
Published to coincide with the centennial of the museum and of Greene’s appointment as director, Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy presents a thematic collection of essays with new research on her family, education, portraits, professional networks and her own art collection, while also engaging with larger themes such as race in America, gender and culture, and the history of Black librarianship. The book offers a full picture of Greene on her own terms and in her own words―revealing her rich career as a curator, collector, library executive and dynamic New Yorker.
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