Although we’re book lovers through and through, we don’t make it a habit to visit libraries wherever we travel. But maybe we should. Now that we’ve seen the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, we’re curious to know what’s inside other libraries. Or perhaps it just doesn’t get any better than this. After all, the Schwarzman Building seems to have it all: Beaux Arts architecture filled with museum quality artwork, detailed frescoes, marble stairwells, and much, much more.
Greeting us on our December 2015 tour were the iconic, loved-by-everyone lions known as Patience and Fortitude, named in the 1930s by Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia who said they represent qualities that all New Yorkers needed to endure the economic trials of the Depression. Now these lions sculpted from pink Tennessee marble (See? We knew there was another reason to love ’em!) are mascots of the library, their trademark likenesses emblazoned on everything from t-shirts to tote bags.
Beginning with a bequest from one-time governor Samuel J. Tilden (1814-1886) of $2.4 million, the idea of a place to “establish and maintain a free library and reading room in the city of New York” began to take shape. After his death, two other libraries, the Aston and Lenox libraries were experiencing financial difficulties, so a revamping of their missions and a combination of assets formed the basis for a new organization: the Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. (Source: NYPL website.)
With the vision of Dr. John Shaw Billings, a noted librarian, and the engagement of a new architectural firm (Carrére and Hastings), the largest marble structure in the U. S. to date (and costing over $9 million upon completion) broke ground in 1902. And then on May 24, 1911, one day after President Taft dedicated the library on May 23rd, 30,000 to 50,000 visitors streamed into this new building, no doubt as impressed as we still are many years later! (Click here for more of the history of the New York Public Library.)
And lucky us — on exhibit while we were there (ending May 27, 2016) was a collection of prints, etchings, woodcuts, etc., belonging to Henrietta Louisa Koenen (1830 – 1881): “Printing Women: Three Centuries of Female Printmakers, 1570-1900.” Quite the collection. Beautifully showcased.
An upstairs reading room holds portraits — some familiar, some new to us.
I stood and stared a while at native New Yorker Washington Irving since I had seen this very portrait in numerous 11th grade lit books from which I taught students (hopefully) to appreciate “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.”
We were rather surprised, however, to see this portrait of Truman Capote by John Whitney Fosburgh among the “older” notables on the wall.
Lest you think the New York Public Library is strictly for bibliophiles of a “certain age,” take a look at this area designed to hook kids on the joy of reading. What fun to see Patience (or is this Fortitude?) fashioned out of today’s “it” building material: Legos!
At the end of our visit, we grabbed one of the free postcards that any guest can have for the taking.

Free for the taking — but just one of each per customer: postcards from the New York Public Library!
Then we made our purchases at the bookstore. Armed with pins imprinted with a Patti Smith quote — “Long Live the Library” — and tote bags for folks back home, we reluctantly left the building.
A return trip to NYC will warrant a return to NYPL. After all, there’s always something new going on at a library. And, with a building like the Schwarzman . . . Wow! what a place this is to see again and again!
For more information:
New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 330 W. 38th Street, New York, NY 10018; (917) 275-6975; http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman
Hours, directions, activities: http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman
What you can do for free at NYPL: http://www.nypl.org/checkusout
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nypl
Twitter: @nypl
Instagram: nypl
To read more posts from our Christmas Holiday NYC tour, click here.
usathroughoureyes
Isn’t this place wonderful. I have spent hours here and could spend many more. NYC has so much character and history.
Oh, the Places We See
I really loved this library, and would love to spend more time there. Brought home a tote bag and a t-shirt — I’m into it!!!
usathroughoureyes
Oh right. Its always good to buy artifacts to memorialize our adventures.
loravenkova13
Beautiful library, with nice architecture!
Oh, the Places We See
Thank you so much! I’ve found that I like touring libraries, especially old, interesting ones. So maybe there will be more to come! Appreciate the comment.
infodreamall
Wow! Awesome colosseum..
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much.
infodreamall
Your welcome… I’m just so Amazed with your work..
janaline's world journey
Such a beautiful building!! I Love New York and cant wait to go and explore it again some day!
Oh, the Places We See
We love NYC, too. Just hoping I can get back there soon — maybe at a different season. However, it was pretty good this year in December — mild weather makes for great touring!
tappjeanne
just finished a new one purchased at Southern Festival of Books last fall: Pursuit in Provence by Phyllis Gobbell – reminds me of Louise Penny murder mysteries!
Oh, the Places We See
Sounds good. I’ve finally “put to bed” The Bone Tree — long, but it grabs you.
Sherry Galey
I just adore this place. Such an amazing building. I’ve taken some of my favourite pictures here. Great writeup nicely illustrated with images.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much for the compliment. What a pleasure it was to visit this library — the pictures just came naturally since there’s so much beauty to capture! Hope your week is going well, Sherry!
jolynnpowers
love Libraries of all kinds and this would be a great place to visit on a trip… It is funny how everyone thinks of a library in their imagenation with those two lions they are icons of the whole library system.
Oh, the Places We See
Please forgive me for not replying to this comment. I’m just now seeing it, but I’m wondering now how I missed it. You are so right — those lions are iconic for this fabulous library. Hope you get to visit the building — it’s beautiful inside and out.
dawnkinster
I went back to grad school when I was 50…library school to be exact…and the first ‘spring break’ a bunch of us went to NYC to work in the libraries there…I LOVE the NYC public library! (I didn’t work there, I worked in another borough, but I visited it)!!!! Beautiful photographs…
Oh, the Places We See
What a lovely place to work! We met one volunteer who had been there for 35 years. Said she couldn’t imagine spending her days anywhere else. And we agree — it was calming and beautiful. What a great building with super initiatives going on all the time.
marthaschaefer
This is a perfect time of year to curl up with a good book. America’s free public libraries are such gems and this one is the crown jewel!
Oh, the Places We See
So true on all accounts — good time to read and NYPL being the crown jewel! Glad we put it on our to-see list. Would go back again! Thanks for commenting!
Amy
A special and magnificent library! Love the architecture. Thank you for the tour, Rusha!
Oh, the Places We See
You are so right, Amy. This is a treasure of a building. At first, I wasn’t sure if enough space were actually dedicated to reading and research, but many rooms were closed for repair. Guess we’ll just have to go back!! 🙂
prior2001
Really great pictures of the art and structures! Thx – and my fav photo is the portraits one with all the kids on Apple laptops! That so artsy too!
Oh, the Places We See
Loved seeing so many kids and their parents at the library together! What a great resource in the heart of the city! Thanks for taking a look.
prior2001
😊💜
Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread
I always have two mysteries going – one on the table and one on the treadmill. I just finished a great Michael Connelly book, The Crossing.
Oh, the Places We See
Aren’t you the reader!!!! I can only keep one straight at a time, but I’ve heard of folks who can do a lot better — you’re one of them. Thanks for the Connelly recommendation. I’m on the board of our local Friends of the Library, and we’re featuring A Lesson Before Dying by Gaines as our Big Read this year. Read it years ago, but want to return to it again. We have snow today with school closings. May get my chance all this week! 🙂