Joshua O’Driscoll Appointed Head of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts at The Morgan

The Morgan Library & Museum has announced the appointment of Dr. Joshua O’Driscoll as Melvin R. Seiden Curator and Department Head of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts.

O’Driscoll joined the Morgan as Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in 2015 and was promoted to Associate Curator in 2022. In his new role, O’Driscoll will oversee the care, study, exhibition, and interpretation of the Morgan's significant collections of illuminated manuscripts dating from the 5th through the 16th centuries. 

The collection began when Pierpont Morgan started acquiring medieval manuscripts in the late 19th century. It now includes around 1,300 manuscripts and papyri, with a focus on Western European illuminated manuscripts in Latin and vernacular languages, with French, Italian, English, German, Flemish, and Dutch works forming the largest groups. The collection also features a smaller but notable selection of Armenian, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopian, Arabic, Persian, and Indian manuscripts.

“We are delighted to announce Josh’s appointment," said said Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Director of the Morgan Library & Museum. "His scholarship, integrity, and vision have already strengthened the Morgan in profound ways. As a curator, he has brought rigor, imagination, and great care to our collections; as department head, he will guide his colleagues with the same generosity and intellectual leadership. This appointment recognizes not only Josh’s outstanding achievements, but our confidence in his ability to shape the department’s future at a very exciting moment in its history.”

O’Driscoll, who is currently co-curating the Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions exhibition, added: “Since joining the Morgan in 2015, I have formed deep connections both to the collection itself and to the community of colleagues and benefactors who sustain it. Looking ahead, the next decade promises to be an exciting and transformative period. My vision for the department extends beyond exhibitions and acquisitions to encompass expanded outreach and public engagement, strengthening strategic partnerships, and enhancing digital access to our holdings to ensure this extraordinary collection reaches broader and more diverse audiences.”