From 1845 until his death, bibliophile and philanthropist James Lenox devoted most of his energy and significant financial resources to amassing one of the major collections of rare books and manuscripts in America. His collection included the first Gutenberg Bible to be brought to the Western Hemisphere, Shakespeare folios, the original autograph manuscript of George Washington's farewell address, as well as thousands of rare early editions and incunabula. In 1870 he incorporated the Lenox Library in his native New York, to which he gave his collection of some twenty thousand volumes. In 1895 the library was consolidated with the Astor Library and the Tilden Trust to form the New York Public Library.

James Lenox was born on 19 August 1800 in New York City, the ninth of twelve children and the third and only surviving son of Robert and Rachel Carmer Lenox. Robert Lenox immigrated to America from Kirkcudbright, Scotland, with two brothers...