Top Cats: The Life and Times of The New York Public Library Lions

The magnificent marble lions flanking the entrance to The New York Public Library are familiar and beloved icons for New Yorkers and visitors to the city alike. Modeled by sculptor Edward Clark Potter and carved from pink Tennessee marble by the Piccirilli brothers in 1911, they have endured for nearly a century. Called "New York's most lovable public sculpture" by architecture critic Paul Goldberger, the Lions have witnessed countless parades, have been bedecked with wreaths and crowned with all manner ofheadgear, and have been featured in children's books and The New Yorker.

Top Cats: The Life and Times of The New York Public Library Lions surveys the history of the Lions and the extraordinary affection with which the public has responded to them. With a generous selection of photographs, cartoons, prints, original drawings, and memorabilia and engaging text and sidebars, the book explores the controversy surrounding the Lions' creation, their ongoing popularity, and much more.