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Event Series:
Norfolk Society of Arts Lecture
Lectures are held in Kaufman Theater at 11 a.m., with refreshments served in Huber Court at 10:30 a.m.
Through the generous support of our members, the Norfolk Society of Arts offered world-class lectures to the vibrant Hampton Roads community that are free and open to the public. The NSA’s free lecture series was established in the 1950s and continues to bring notable curators, historians, architects, journalists, professors, and others to the Chrysler Museum of Art. Consider becoming a member today.
Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950) was one of the most prominent librarians in American history. She ran the Morgan Library for forty-three years—initially as the private librarian of J. Pierpont Morgan and then his son, Jack, and later as the inaugural director of the Pierpont Morgan Library (now the Morgan Library & Museum). Not only did Greene build one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the United States, but she also transformed an exclusive private collection into a major public resource, originating the robust program of exhibitions, lectures, publications, and research services that continues today. speak about Greene’s storied life and career, 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. Philip will discuss a selection of objects appearing in the exhibition, highlight two projects related to Belle Greene’s letters, and explore her enduring legacy as a cultural heritage executive.
The Morgan Library & Museum is currently holding a major retrospective exhibition on Belle Greene, which opened in the fall of 2024. The show’s curatorial lead, Philip S. Palmer, will speak about Greene’s storied life and career, 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. Philip will discuss a selection of objects appearing in the exhibition, highlight two projects related to Belle Greene’s letters, and explore her enduring legacy as a cultural heritage executive.
Philip S. Palmer is the Robert H. Taylor Curator and Department Head of Literary and Historical Manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum. He holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and worked for five years at UCLA’s Clark Library as a before coming to the Morgan in 2019. His interests are wide ranging, and he has curated exhibitions at the Morgan on Woody Guthrie, James Joyce, Beatrix Potter, and The Little Prince, and is co-curator of the Morgan’s current exhibition on Belle da Costa Greene.