Black Excellence: Belle da Costa Greene
The true story of a famed librarian and the secret she guarded closely
The name Belle da Costa Greene might not ring a bell, but New York’s historic Morgan Library and Museum is trying to change that.
A new exhibit called “A Librarian’s Legacy” opened this month, just in time for the Morgan’s 100th anniversary. It traces Greene’s life and her lasting influence as the library’s first director.
It was an unusually prominent role for a woman at the time — a Black woman who chose to pass as white to survive in a highly segregated America.