About the Ellen and Leonard Milberg Gallery

At the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 28, 2019, Ellen (center) and Leonard Milberg (fourth from left to right) were joined by their granddaughter Samantha Shapiro ’21 (second from left to right), Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian Anne Jarvis (far left), and Leonard L. Milberg ’53 visiting lecturer in Irish Letters Fintan O’Toole (far right). Photo by Kevin Birch.

Recognizing the many contributions of 1953 Princeton University alumnus Leonard L. Milberg and his wife Ellen, the Ellen and Leonard Milberg Gallery opened in March 2019, located in Firestone Library's lobby. 

Milberg declared in his 30th reunion book entry, “I have belatedly, but passionately discovered books, prints, and the Princeton University Rare Book Library.” During the past 37 years, he has shared the fruits of this passion with the University community. Milberg’s gifts (13,000 items plus) range from 19th-century American prints and drawings to several book collections: American poetry, Irish poetry, prose, and theatre as well as two Judaica collections.

At Princeton University Library (PUL), we enrich teaching, learning, and research by providing world-class library services and collections. Our collections showcase the ideas and discoveries of five millennia and represent the highest forms of human achievement. The gallery highlights PUL’s world-renowned collections while also drawing upon complementary collections from campus partners and peer institutions.

Stewardship of our rare and often invaluable items requires a commitment to conservation work, climate-controlled storage environments, and retrieval and special handling processes. While protecting items for future generations is vital, we are also committed to ensuring that today's scholars have both physical and virtual access to our collections to support their research.

The Ellen and Leonard Milberg Gallery provides a state-of-the-art facility where we are able to share these seldom-seen treasures with a wider audience.

We invite you to visit the gallery to view our current exhibition, free and open to the public daily from noon to 6 p.m., or explore online versions of past exhibitions, with digitized images and detailed descriptions, at dpul.princeton.edu. 

Media contact: Barbara Valenza, Director, Library Communications