Book about the founding of the Met?

May 11, 2019 8:25 AM

Please recommend me books about the history/founding of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or other museums!).

I was at the Met yesterday, and I realized I don’t know much about its founding or history. I asked at the bookstore if they have anything about its inception and the woman I asked said, “Oh no, it’s very controversial.” So now I’m asking you all.

I would also gladly accept suggestions for books about that era of museum-building more generally, or other museums, as well.

In my head there’s a book that exists that’s like Devil in the White City, but about the Met.

Thanks!

posted by hapticactionnetwork to Society & Culture (5 answers total)

I want to warn you, the history of the Met really depends whom you are asking. There will be a lot of antisemitism and anti-immigrant inflamed arguments. I suggest either seeking out neutral sources or reading as much as you can and drawing your own conclusions.
posted by evilmonk at 9:12 AM on May 11, 2019

If you’re interested in some more recent history, “Making the Mummies Dance,” Thomas Hoving, is an entertaining but unreliably narrated and self-aggrandizing memoir by the Met’s director from the 60s and 70s.
posted by nonane at 9:34 AM on May 11, 2019

It is not about the Met, but this article by Steve Lubar on cabinets of curiosities has some interesting stuff on general museum history and its evolution over time. Might help to contextualize the Met in the wider museum world/history. (Lubar also links to this article by Stephen Greenblatt on resonance and wonder in his article.) Elizabeth Rodini's "A brief history of the art museum" and also her article on the Louvre are other jumping off points.
posted by gudrun at 10:24 AM on May 11, 2019

In terms of bad history, she was probably referring to the Cesnola collection which was pretty much entirely excavated (cough*looted*cough) from Cyprus and founded the Met's collection. Here is the Met's description of the collection. Luigi Palma di Cesnola became the first director of the Met but only after leaving Italy to move to the USA, fighting on the side of the Union in the Civil War (he claimed the title of General), becoming consul to Cyprus, looting most of the island, and famously "restoring" sculpture he found (ie- gluing bits of different sculptures together) before he sold everything. Here's an article via the Cyprus Mail.

Ugh. Sorry to get ranty, I just don't like him.
posted by Mouse Army at 3:25 PM on May 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

You should read the recent biography of Bernard Berenson, which perhaps goes a little too easy on him but covers the life of a man who "scouted" Europe for the Met, the MFA, the Frick, and, perhaps most notably, the Gardner.
posted by praemunire at 3:59 PM on May 11, 2019