New York Public Library lions 'Patience' and 'Fortitude'

The two marble lion statues flanking the entrance of the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 476 5th Avenue are popularly known as 'Patience' and 'Fortitude.' The nicknames were popularized during the 1930s, when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia reportedly praised the lions as symbols of the city's resilience during the Great Depression. The statues have been enduring symbols of the library and feature in local lore and civic imagery.