Overview

The New York Public Library, one of the nation's architectural wonders, is possibly our finest classical building. Designed by John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings, and inspired by the great classical buildings in Paris and Rome, it was completed in 1911. The library boasts a magnificent exterior, but that is only the beginning. In the interior, one splendid hall follows another, an awesome gallery leads to richly decorated rooms, and stairways are vaulted in marble. From the terrace to the breathtaking Main Reading Room is a triumphal way. All the devices of the classical tradition, the main artistic current of Western civilization, are brought into play. Maidens, cherubs, and satyr masks look down from ceilings. Lions' heads, paws, rams' heads, and griffins are on every side. In this beautiful volume, featuring new color photography by Anne Day, every facet of the building is described, including its inception and construction.

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9780393078107

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Author Information

Henry Hope Reed is founder and president of Classical America and is the author of numerous books, including The Golden City and The New York Public Library. He lives in New York City. Francis Morrone is an art and architecture critic who writes book reviews, film criticism, and design criticism for many publications. He has written architectural guides to Philadelphia and New York City. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Arthur Ross Award in History/Journalism, given by The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA).

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