{"product_id":"9780674299818","title":"Becoming Belle da Costa Greene : A Visionary Librarian Through Her Letters by Deborah Parker","description":"In Becoming Belle da Costa Greene: A Visionary Librarian through Her Letters, Deborah Parker chronicles the making and empowerment of a female connoisseur, curator, and library director in a world where such positions were held by men. Belle da Costa Greene (1879-1950) was Pierpont Morgan's personal librarian (1908-1913) and the first Director of the Morgan Library (1924-1948).  She was also the daughter of two mixed-race parents and passed for white. In the nearly six hundred letters that Greene sent to art historian Bernard Berenson (1865-1959), Parker identifies Greene's energetic pursuit of exceptional opportunities, illuminating the artistry and imaginative features of Greene's writing-her self-invention, her vibrant responses to books and art, and her pathbreaking work as a librarian. As Greene transformed a private library into a magnificent public institution, she also transformed herself: hers was a life both lived and writ large.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294247465333,"sku":"9780674299818","price":20.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780674299818.jpg?v=1762762527","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9780674299818","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}