#new-york-public-library

#new-york-public-library

The grand marble entrance on Fifth Avenue is a stunner that only hints at the beauty inside. With its stately lions (Patience and Fortitude) guarding the steps, the library looms as a temple of knowledge. Inside, mesmerizing architecture and finishings can be found around every corner, celebrating the art, history and literature within. The NYPL system was founded in 1895, but its main branch opened in 1911 after nearly a decade of construction.

The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture memorialized its centennial this year, a testament to the temple of Black history that houses over 11 million items throughout its storied reading rooms.