NYPL Lions to Receive Laser Bath Cleaning, Paid for by New York Life Foundation and Donations From Hundreds of New Yorkers
The stately lions, Patience and Fortitude, that have guarded the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue since 1911 will be going into hibernation on September 2nd. The library announced today that the most iconic duo will be "cleaned, repaired, and conserved over nine weeks," and during that time they will be covered up. The $250,000 project will be paid for by "a grant from The New York Life Foundation and donations from hundreds of New Yorkers."
How does a bath cost this much, you may ask? Well, it's a laser bath, a cleaning process that will aid in the repair of cracks and chips. And given their location (this dirty city) and given that pigeons love to roost atop their manes, they need to undergo cleaning every 7-10 years (they were last cleaning in 2011)...