guardians of michigan avenue {december 13, 2022}

Iconic guardians of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Lions have stood at the Michigan Avenue entrance since the building's inaugural year. The site became the museum's permanent home at the conclusion of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, where the new structure had hosted lectures and other events for fairgoers.

I’ve looked for the lions’ names but haven’t found a given name for either. (As an aside, Fiorello LaGuardia named the lions at the New York Public Library Patience and Fortitude). The sculptor Edward Kemeys gave them unofficial names, with the north lion poised as “On the Prowl.” and the south lion standing “In An Attitude of Defiance.”

Just down the street from the Art Museum, the Mounted Patrol Unit conducts daily patrols in several areas of downtown Chicago, including the lakefront, the Museum Campus, Lincoln and Grant Parks, and the shopping areas of North Michigan Avenue and State Street, as well as at special events that occur around the city all year long. The horses in the Chicago Police Mounted Unit are named after fallen CPD officers to honor the memory of the men and women who died in the line of duty.