This is the private library of American business tycoon Pierpoint Morgan (d. 1913), and it is a wonder to behold. Its three balconies of books are reached by hidden staircases behind bookshelves. Sumptuous Renaissance-inspired bookcases pack thousands of rare volumes. The ceilings and upper walls are covered with ornate paintings of allegorical figures representing various scholarly disciplines, signs of the zodiac, and famed historical characters. Let’s all just move in.
