PSA: That famous bookbinding museum in NYC is way overhyped

I finally went to the Morgan Library and Museum last month to see their bookbinding exhibits. Everyone online talks about it like it's the holy grail for binders. But honestly? I felt let down. Most of the displayed bindings are behind thick glass and you can't get close enough to see the sewing structures or the grain of the leather. The lighting is so dim you can barely make out the tooling details on the spines. They show a lot of rare books but the actual craft details that matter to us are hidden. I get that they need to protect the items but maybe a community like this should start sharing better resources for studying bindings up close. Has anyone else felt this way about a famous collection they visited?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix47822d ago

I read in a binder forum that the Folger has better close-up viewing options and less glare.

keith_henderson22d ago

Man that's a bummer... spent a whole day there last year and came away feeling like I'd just watched a bunch of books sleep through a museum tour. The dim lighting thing got me too - squinted so hard trying to see the headbands I nearly gave myself a headache. My buddy who does fine binding says their collection is legit but they treat it like it's all nuclear waste behind that glass. Guess I'll stick to pestering local book dealers who actually let me pick stuff up and flip through it.