All the Beauty in the World

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Millions visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art each year, but only a select few have unrestricted access to its vast spaces—its guards, dressed in dark blue suits, who monitor the two-million-square-foot treasure house. Patrick Bringley, initially caught up in his career at the New Yorker, never imagined he would join their ranks. However, after his brother's terminal cancer diagnosis, he sought an escape from daily life and left his job to find solace in the museum. What began as a temporary refuge turned into a decade-long home. Bringley guards exquisite treasures from Egypt and Rome, explores the labyrinthine underbelly of the museum, wears out nine pairs of shoes, and develops a profound appreciation for the artworks he protects. He starts as an almost invisible presence but soon discovers his voice and community among the artworks and fellow guards—an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, immigrants, and dreamers. As his connections deepen, he realizes the fortune of being enclosed in this unique world, which mirrors the best aspects of the larger world he eventually returns to with gratitude.