To coincide with the recently completed renovation of its interior The Morgan Library is hosting an exhibit of the library photographs of Massimo Listri.
The monster photographs, each about five feet in width and four feet in height, depict the grand libraries of Europe which served as an inspiration for Charles Follen McKim, the architect commissioned by Pierpont Morgan to build the library in 1902.
Some of the libraries represented include:
The Malatestiana Library in Cesena, Italy, which was completed in 1454,
The St. Gall Monastery Library in Switzerland,
Trinity College Library at the University of Dublin,
The Laurentian Library in Florence, which was designed by Michelangelo,
and the Vatican Library.
Many of the photographs first appeared in his book Il Fascino Delle Biblioteche [The Charm of Libraries] which featured text by Umberto Eco. The exhibit runs through January 9, 2011.