Registration
Admission for this tour is $30. Members receive exclusive discounts on our programs and courses. Not a member? Learn more.
Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp@rosenbach.org.
Registration opens for Delancey Society members on Friday, March 14, for Rosenbach members on Friday, March 21, and for the general public on Friday, March 28. Registration opens at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Description
They were giants of the rare book world during the first half of the 20th century. Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach (1876–1952) was a major Philadelphia bookseller; Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950) was J. Pierpont Morgan’s librarian and, later, the inaugural director of the Pierpont Morgan Library (now the Morgan Library & Museum). Almost exact contemporaries, they were both widely esteemed in the book world for their bibliographic knowledge and professional acumen. In this Behind the Bookcase tour, we will read a selection of letters that trace their four-decade professional relationship from 1909, when the Rosenbach book business was still new and Greene had begun handling acquisitions for Morgan, to the late 1940s, when both were nearing the ends of their lives and communicating with the affection of old friends.
Registrants for this Behind the Bookcase tour are encouraged to visit the Morgan Library & Museum’s landmark exhibition Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy, either in person (through May 4, 2025) or online. The Morgan exhibition traces Greene’s storied life, from her roots in a predominantly Black community in Washington, D.C., to her distinguished career at the helm of one of the world’s great research libraries.
About Your Guide
Christine Nelson is the former Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum, where she worked closely with Greene’s professional correspondence. She is the co-author, with Philip Palmer, of the online resource Belle da Costa Greene: A Portrait Gallery (launched 2024).
Behind the Bookcase: Hands-on Tours at The Rosenbach
Behind the Bookcase: Hands-on Tours offer unparalleled access to see, and even touch, rare and important items not usually on view to the public. Each program is dedicated to a different author, theme, or topic and grants a truly hands-on experience with materials in The Rosenbach’s inspiring collection.
See all upcoming tours here. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly recommended.