*The Met: A Bottom-Up History* is a fascinating look at the people behind one of the world’s most iconic museums. Rather than just focusing on the artwork, Jonathan Conlin dives into the untold stories of curators, visitors, security guards, and more, showing how they’ve shaped the Met over the years. The book doesn’t shy away from the darker side, exploring issues of wealth, race, and gender inequality that have influenced the museum’s development. With tons of interviews and a focus on the museum's ongoing challenges, it’s a fresh, eye-opening take on how the Met became what it is today. If you’re a fan of the museum or just love hidden histories, this one's for you!

The Met by Jonathan Conlin is an in-depth story about this iconic museum and its people.
I was expecting more photographs and more colours however the story was very interesting and well researched.
My next visit at the museum will be more interesting because of newly acquired knowledge of its history.

This book wasn't really what I expected at all. It was expected it to be more focused on the lives of the people involved in the insitution, but it did focus mainly on their lives inrelatioonto their role in the MET. That is more a me problem, and my expextations than the book.

This book was very academic, and may possibly be enjoyed better on a chapter by chapter basis than as a collection. I found it quite dense and did sometimes struggle to follow, so maybe not the best introduction to the MET's history.

That being said I did really enjoy some of the chapters and will probably revisit them in the future. In particular the "Ladies Lunch Club" and "Changing Occupations". I also found the chapter on the miniatures and making the works in the MET accesable to those outside of New York.

Overall still a very informative read and did give me a few things to read into further.

Both those visiting New York and those who live here make their way to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is an iconic institution that is filled with treasures. Visitors can literally travel the world within its many galleries.

The author points out this vastness of the Met in the book’s introduction. It is over two million square feet in size and covers four city blocks. Inside are over two million objects. The works range from those of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to the most modern of art in an expanding collection.

Some may visit the Met and not think further. Others may wonder how this majestic museum came to be. They can find out in this well researched title.

Learn…How did The Met become The Met? Who was involved? How were decisions made? Were there snags? Readers will find some answers in this long and detailed work. Just know that it may be best to read in small bits over time.

Many thanks to Columbia University Press and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

A detailed, comprehensive and meticulously researched history of the Met – New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art – from its inception to the present-day. The challenges, the controversies, the people, the collection, the legacy, the influence and the politics – it’s all here, and it’s a fascinating read. It’s also a dense read, and not one to be tackled lightly. A bit-by-bit approach is probably best, otherwise it can all feel a bit overwhelming. There’s a lot to take in, and the writing is fairly dry and academic. Nevertheless, it’s an important book and a wonderful reference source, so pace yourself and enjoy the wealth of information it contains.

When the busyness of modern life overtakes us, the perfect antidote is a visit to a place, such as the Met, that connects us to a wider world, to civilizations long gone. To their art and industry, culture and routines. We are part of a long timeline of human struggle but also beauty and accomplishment. Spending time at the Met might help us imagine what this museum might say about our era, and this provides a boost to make it something of which we can be proud.

How does an iconic institution such as the Met come into being? This book will cover that question. As with prior civilizations, it will explore the challenges and triumphs, the persons who led and collected and built, and the stunning achievement that is today’s met. This book is best savored by course, not consumed at once.

Many thanks to Columbia University Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

This reads more like a textbook than I anticipated. This is incredibly dense and a wealth of knowledge about every aspect of The Met. I was simply hoping for something different, I thought this would be more about the art and how it was acquired. It is really about the history and founding of the museum itself. If you are studying this museum and you’re looking for an all encompassing piece of literature, this is the one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC.

This book discusses the Met’s origins, rise to a world-renowned institution, impact and controversies, and legacy for the future. An excellent read for anyone interested in learning more about the history of the museum. Each chapter delves into a specific topic related to the Met such as the evolution of the Met Gala and contributions of “ladies who lunch”; the organization of the book is clear.

Thank you NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for allowing me to read an Advance Reader Copy of The Met by Jonathan Conlin.

Growing up in NYC, you get used to hearing all and attending various institutions - the Bronx Zoo, the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. Rarely do we take the time to think about how and why these institutions exist or how they were founded. Conlin does this in The Met, a book about the Metropolitan Museum of Art - a world renowned institution. The Met is well-known for the gala thrown in its honor every fall and for thousands of art pieces housed within the museum.

This book explores the Met's beginnings, its controversies and how it continues to make an impact on the world today. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about it.

I was lucky enough to visit NYC for the very first time this year, and was able to read this book before my trip to the Met. I enjoyed it very much. Though a little dense at times, Jonathan Conlin has drawn together a really fascinating history of the institution, its key figures and iconic works. I was thrilled to stumble across some genuinely juicy moments, especially when exploring the museum's inception. But this is ultimately a very scholarly, academic tome - and a valuable, loving one at that.

The Met is one of my favorites, and I'm a sucker for architectural explorations into old and reinvented buildings and their histories. For me this is a win/win complete with meaningful photographs that are appropriately interspersed throughout. I found this to be a great book for museum addicts (like me).
I requested and received a temporary electronic copy on Adobe Digital Editions from Columbia University Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Oct 22, 2024 #MetropolitanMuseumOfArt #NYC

Jonathan Conlin's The Met is an insightful and detailed exploration of the history and impact of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Conlin takes readers on a journey through the museum's development, highlighting its cultural significance and the challenges it faced over the years. His narrative is rich with anecdotes about the influential figures behind the institution, as well as the controversies and triumphs that shaped its evolution. The book balances historical depth with engaging storytelling, making it both informative and enjoyable for anyone interested in art, history, or the complexities of managing one of the world’s most renowned museums. The Met serves as a fascinating tribute to a cultural landmark and an in-depth look at how art institutions influence and reflect society.

This book would be good for a student rather than myself. I personally was interested in the Met going into this book and looking forward to maybe understanding the development of the great Museum; however, there’s a wealth of information in this book that seemed to weigh it down. It was very fact heavy and read as such. Overall, not for me.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the arc!

The Met: A History of a Museum and Its People, by Jonathan Conlin, is an informative history that presents not simply a history of this iconic museum but also a nice overview of the positives and negatives of encyclopedic museums as a whole.

Like many other people who have visited the Met multiple times over the years, I have both a fascination with the objects and the history within the walls as well as problematic concerns about equity and fairness, both in the acquisition of the artifacts and in the people for whom the museum has de facto been intended for. This volume does not shy away from presenting multiple perspectives, which often means highlighting some less-than-ideal moments. While making a case for what museums like this can contribute to society, Conlin does so while acknowledging where changes still need to be made.

This is a history, not an art appreciation or art history book, so don't expect a picture book. The photographs here are meant to contribute to the telling of the history, not make the reader ponder the art. Like many books I read, I made use of the internet to take side trips, looking up movements and people mentioned in the book. If you want something more like a pop history book, you can do the same to look at pretty pictures. By all means, if that is what is important to you, do so. But that isn't what this history book is about, so don't hold it against the book for not being what it never set out to be.

Many people who have visited the Met will find the history interesting, though I suspect the many names and the usual internal politics (like any organization) may turn some people off. If you enjoy reading histories of organizations, this is a very readable volume that will make you see the museum differently the next time you visit. Those who study cultural and intellectual history will likely find plenty of overlap with other studies they have read.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This book was a very in depth look at the MET and the various exhibits featured over the years. More than an exploration of the exhibits though, it’s a history of the museum itself. It details behind the scenes process of each room and wing and the transformations over the years. It was very interesting to read about the inner workings of that prestigious institution.

This is a fascinating and very information-dense look into The Met's storied history - we get to learn about all of the people through all of the decades of the Met's existence that shaped it into the institution it is today. For the Met's inception, the sheer number of rich people who decided to get together for art was incredible, but equally intriguing was the amount of pettiness that went along with it. I appreciated the author contrasting the idea of these oligarchs with the idea of them being generous benefactors. Keeping that balance is interesting and there were several Met contributors (most of them) who came by their money or their family’s money in despicable ways.

I learned so much through this book, but it is best served as a reference text rather than trying to read it all in one fell swoop. The information is broken up into different eras of the museum that often overlap, and the recent history is just as detailed as the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the advanced copy.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is one of my favorite museums I’ve been to, so having the opportunity to read the history of the Met was neat. I thought it was interesting to learn how the Met acquired some pieces of art, like the different statues and paintings. Learning the more notable figures who made the Met what it was was fascinating as well - there were a handful of people who did questionable things in order to get what they wanted. It was also nice to learn how the Met Gala started - I usually check out the new fashion exhibition after the Gala if I’m around New York that time, and it is always fun to see the different outfits people are wearing during the Gala. Overall, this book might be a great gift to the museum lover in your life, if you aren’t one yourself.

A thorough history of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jonathan Conlin's "The Met" is impeccably researched and interesting. It spans the decades of the museum's creation, existence, and musings on its future. It is quite information dense, so is best used as a research reference or read in increments to best absorb the culture and information.

A beautiful retrospective of the Met. This book is best read in short spurts when you have a moment, rather than cover to cover in a sitting. I have fond memories of taking an art history course and learning about how art influences and reflects history, and reading this brought back many of those memories and feelings I associate with art.

Disappointing. While the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is quite interesting, it was not presented in a manner that held my attention. At times, it was dull and dry; at times, it was gossipy and judgy. And what really aggravated me was that most, if not all, images were in black and white!!! What good is that in a book about one of the most well-known museums on the East Coast, if not throughout the entire United States?! I got fed up and stopped reading, and just skimmed the second half of the book.
One truly has to be a diehard fan of the Met to read this and enjoy it. Otherwise, bypass this.

Thanks to NetGalley & Columbia University Press for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.