McKim Building Restoration | Updates

Follow Jennifer Tonkovich, Curator of Drawings and Prints, as she provides behind-the-scenes updates for the restoration of the Morgan's 1906 McKim building. Learn more about the history of the McKim, which houses Mr. Morgan's library and study, as well as details of the restoration. We will also post photos so that you can witness the transformation as it takes place.

Play slide showNovember 5, 2010
Time to Celebrate: The McKim Reopens

The refurbished McKim was celebrated with a series of events, including a black tie gala, a cocktail reception for the Morgan's Fellows and Young Fellows, an evening reserved for members to preview the building, and a public opening with concerts and a lecture by William M. Griswold, director of the Morgan, on October 30.

The New York Times exclaimed that the restoration "really does inspire oohing and aahing. It looks terrific." Time Out New York listed the opening day as one of the principal activities of a "perfect weekend" in the city.

To watch a time-lapse video of the transformation of Pierpont Morgan's library (the East Room) click here. This video—produced over the course of six weeks—captures the phase of the refurbishment after the electrical work was completed. The carpet is installed, the cases arrive and are assembled by a team of craftsmen, old plexiglas is replaced with new sheets of non-reflective Tru Vue, the lighting is installed and positioned, art works are placed in cases, books are returned to shelves, and cosmetic touches are made to ready the room for the reopening.

There is even more to look forward to in the McKim this fall. As part of the Morgan's holiday program, Charles Dickens's original manuscript of A Christmas Carol, as well as a first edition of the story, will be on view in the library as of November 30. I hope you will join us in celebrating the new McKim during this holiday season!

See Pierpont Morgan's 1906 Library exhibition page »