Danny Danziger currently lives in London, and Museum is his twelfth book, including the acclaimed 1215: The Year of Magna Carta and the bestselling The Year 1000.
“ The genius of Danziger is to get to the heart of an institution through myriad personal interviews . . . from cleaner and waitress through curator, trustee, and CEO.”—The Atlantic
From its proposal in 1866 as a national institution and gallery of art, the Metropolitan Museum has been the pride of eminent Americans devoted to sharing their love of art with the public. In this work of oral history, Danziger (coauthor of The Year 1000 and 1215: The Year of the Magna Carta) attempts to humanize one of New York City's premiere elitist institutions and by and large succeeds. He interviewed dozens connected with the Met-not just the museum's director, Philippe de Montebello, but its trustees, curators, benefactors, and employees in various departments (e.g., plumbing, cleaning, security, merchandising, and fire safety). After a brief preface, Danziger presents the respondents talking in first person without prompting or pause. This gives the text powerful impact, although in some cases one can almost hear Danziger's questions. What all 52 interviewees seem to have in common is a love of art, of the Metropolitan Museum, and of the privilege of being associated with the museum as well as the pleasure of sharing their love with the world. Recommended for libraries with a strong interest in art or New York.-Ilene Skeen, New York Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
" The genius of Danziger is to get to the heart of an institution through myriad personal interviews . . . from cleaner and waitress through curator, trustee, and CEO."-The Atlantic
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