ABSTRACT
The New York Public Library had two predecessors—the Astor Library (now the landmarked home of the Public Theater) and the Lenox Library on Fifth Avenue (a site now occupied by the Frick Collection). Today, James Lenox’s collection forms the heart of NYPL’s rare book holdings, along with his paintings, sculptures, and objects d’art. Contemporary to the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the building was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Lenox’s model had an effect, and its influence can be seen in the practices of the Morgan and Huntington libraries, both of which contain premier collections.
