Library Work

As the Morgan’s collections and activities grew, so did the need for Greene to manage all the accompanying work efficiently. The staff list from 1943 provides a glimpse of the people Greene hired and supervised, including cataloguers, facilities staff, and curators. In most libraries across the country, the leading roles were filled by men, especially in the world of rare books and manuscripts. While it was common for librarians and library assistants to be women, the Morgan offered a rare example of a strong female-led team.

Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950)
Typed list of staff and their duties, 1943
Archives of the Morgan Library & Museum

Walter Sanders (1897–1985)
Reading Room of the Pierpont Morgan Library, ca. 1950
Gelatin silver print
Archives of the Morgan Library & Museum; ARC 1916