Lenox Library, Private library at Fifth Avenue, United States
Lenox Library was a private library on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, housing rare books, manuscripts, and historical documents. The building also served as a gallery for artworks from James Lenox's personal collection, combining both functions under one roof.
Richard Morris Hunt designed the building in 1877, funded by the philanthropist James Lenox. After Lenox died, his collection merged with the Astor Library and the Tilden Foundation in 1895 to form the New York Public Library.
The library was not open to the general public but welcomed scholars and researchers who applied for special access. This selective approach reflected a broader tradition among wealthy New Yorkers of the era, who saw private collections as a mark of intellectual standing.
The original building no longer exists, as it was demolished in 1911. The site now falls within the Frick Collection complex on Fifth Avenue, which can be visited as an art museum in its own right.
The library held one of the first Gutenberg Bibles to reach the American continent, brought over by James Lenox himself. That copy is now part of the New York Public Library's holdings, where it remains one of the most closely guarded items in the collection.
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