Honestly, this building has to rival anything you see in Europe. Yet, as we walk around, I wonder if the native NYer's see it so frequently that it becomes "common" to them, and lament that a lot of tourists never even come here. The building is SPECTACULAR in every way. It is solid marble inside and out. It is stately, it is grand, it is inspiring.
Here are some highlights:
-Constructed in solid marble in Beaux-Arts style, and was the largest marble structure ever attempted in the US .
-It cost 9 million to construct (opened in 1911), which converts to over 220 mil in today dollars, but is irreplacebable because of the hand crafted carvings and plaster work.
-As you approach, you are greeted by 2 Lions : Patience and Fortitude-- although they had several names before, during the depression, Roosevelt named them this because these were the qualities our nation needed most.
-Is it a "museum" or a "library"?? Among its more than 15 million holdings are: rare Gutenberg Bible, Charles Dicken's writing desk, an account of Christopher Columbus's discovery of New World printed in 1493 (only one in the world), and on a more approachable level, you find the original stuffed animals "Winnie the Pooh", "Tigger" and friends.
-The original architects designed both the building and the furniture. All of the stately desks, chairs, tables are original to the building.
