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“An” Illuminated Life:

Belle Da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege
Front Cover
23 Reviews
W. W. Norton & Company, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 580 pages
What would you give up to achieve your dream? When J. P. Morgan hired Belle da Costa Greene in 1905 to organize his rare book and manuscript collection, she had only her personality and a few years of experience to recommend her. Ten years later, she had shaped the famous Pierpont Morgan Library collection and was a proto-celebrity in New York and the art world, renowned for her self-made expertise, her acerbic wit, and her flirtatious relationships. Born to a family of free people of color, Greene changed her name and invented a Portuguese grandmother to enter white society. In her new world, she dined both at the tables of the highest society and with bohemian artists and activists. She also engaged in a decades-long affair with art critic Bernard Berenson. Greene is pure fascination—the buyer of illuminated manuscripts who attracted others to her like moths to a flame.

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Review: An Illuminated Life: Bella da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege

User Review  - Angela - Goodreads

I am giving this 5 stars for the interest content of the book. The writer would get 4 stars because it got a little bogged down in the middle with anecdotes that really did not add to Belle's history ... Read full review

Review: An Illuminated Life: Bella da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege

User Review  - Liah - Goodreads

Ardizzone's historical account of the colorful life of Bella da Costa Greene is very fascinating. Greene is a woman who truly dared to live life on her own terms. You can question her decision to hide ... Read full review

All 23 reviews »

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References from web pages

An Illuminated Life (Main Page)
Heidi Ardizzone. An Illuminated Life. Belle da Costa Greene’s Journey from Prejudice to Privilege. The secret life of the sensational woman behind the ...
www.wwnorton.com/ catalog/ fall06/ 005104.htm

WBAI, New York - 99.5 FM Pacifica Radio - An Illuminated Life ...
Home arrow Featured Show arrow Arts News and Reviews arrow An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege ...
wbai.org/ index.php?option=com_content& task=view& id=9735& Itemid=2

Books and Arts - An Illustrated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's ...
da costa.jpg (29054 bytes). The Morgan Library & Museum. Photograph by Clarence White of Belle da Costa Greene, J. Pierpont Morgan's librarian and the first ...
www.wehaitians.com/ an%20illuminated%20life%20belle%20da%20costa%20greene%20journey%20from%20prejudice%20to%20privile...

An Illuminated Life | Library Stuff
Recently released biography: An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege Ardizzone's competent, complimentary.
www.librarystuff.net/ 2007/ 06/ 23/ an-illuminated-life/

dovegreyreader scribbles: Who on earth is Belle Da Costa Greene?
An Illuminated Life, Belle Da Costa Greene's Journey From Prejudice to Privilege by Heidi Ardizzone published by wwNorton is one of those biographies that ...
dovegreyreader.typepad.com/ dovegreyreader_scribbles/ 2007/ 11/ who-on-earth-is.html

Lamson Library » An Illuminated Life : Belle Da Costa Greene’s ...
An Illuminated Life : Belle Da Costa Greene’s Journey From Prejudice To Privilege. An Illuminated Life : Belle Da Costa Greene's Journey From Prejudice To ...
library.plymouth.edu/ read/ 336165

Heidi Ardizzone dot com
An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege ww Norton & Co., June 2007. From the Jacket ...
heidiardizzone.com/ bookail.htm

Barnes & Noble.com - Books: An Illuminated Life, by Heidi ...
An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege, Ardizzone, Heidi Ardizzone, Hardcover, Book, ISBN: 0393051048, ...
search.barnesandnoble.com/ An-Illuminated-Life/ Heidi-Ardizzone/ e/ 9780393051049

ipac2.0
An illuminated life : Belle da Costa Greene's journey from prejudice to privilege / Heidi Ardizzone. by Ardizzone, Heidi. ...
occ.dalnet.lib.mi.us/ ipac20/ ipac.jsp?index=.GW& term=An+illuminated+life+%3A+Belle+da+Costa+Greene's+journey+from+pre...

Palo Alto City Library Catalog
An illuminated life : Belle da Costa Greene's journey from prejudice to privilege / Heidi Ardizzone. Author (or ed., comp.): Ardizzone, Heidi. ...
webcat.cityofpaloalto.org/ ipac20/ ipac.jsp?session=12D7918W4N563.53959& profile=pacl& uri=link=3100026~!379892~!3100001...

About the author (2007)

Heidi Ardizzone is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame.

Bibliographic information