There was one place in New York City that I had always wanted to visit. It was the Morgan Library & Museum. I would never say it is a misnomer, but this name, I think, is misleading. When I first heard it, I instantly thought that it would be one of those branches of New York Public Library. But it’s not! It is more of J.P. Morgan’s personal collection of rare manuscripts and other fine arts.

I first entered Mr. Morgan's Study. His portrait was hanging on the wall behind his desk. He really had the air of a financier.

His whole study was filled with Victorian furnishings and antiques.

As I made for that portrait of Morgan above the fireplace, which had been familiar to me, and took a closer look, I somehow felt like that he was lecturing me.

I then walked on to Mr. Morgan’s Library with three tiers of shelves full of books up to the ceiling. It made me feel like I was in a museum in one of those European countries.

The ceiling was decorated with figures of Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Christopher Columbus, etc.

I was very curious how Morgan used to take out books in the shelves of the upper tiers and bring them back up. I asked a guide who happened to be touring a group of visitors, and she told me, finger-pointing the spot where there was a small elevator in the back of this bookshelf. I didn’t think anybody would notice it until they looked very closely. I liked this secrety trick.

This is the tablet showing “Lion Attacking Mouflon” Morgan acquired in the late 19th century.