Rainey Memorial Gates is a historic entrance gate located at the north side of the Bronx Zoo, within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York City.
It is a New York City designated landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1][2]
History
It was built in 1934 and constructed of sculpted bronze in the Art Deco style. It was designed by noted sculptor Paul Manship (1885–1966), who worked on them starting in 1926.[3] It was commissioned by Grace Rainey Rogers, as a memorial to her brother, noted big game hunter Paul James Rainey (1877–1923).[4] The gates feature stylized animal and plant life including the figure of a seated lion. Low bronze screens flank the gate and connect it to the granite gatekeepers lodges.
Photographs of the gates from 2018 by Carol M. Highsmith are part of the files at the Library of Congress.[5][6]
See also
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in The Bronx
- National Register of Historic Places in Bronx County, New York
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Scheier, Joan (2006). New York City Zoos and Aquarium. Arcadia Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7385-3942-3.
- ^ "Detail of Paul J. Rainey Memorial Gateway". Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "Memorial Gates Accepted by Zoo; Donor of Gift in Honor of Paul J. Rainey Attends Exercises in Bronx. Old Pets Done In Bronze Collection of Carved Figures of 'Celebrities' in Cages Is Hailed by Dr. Blair". The New York Times. June 15, 1934. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "The 1934 sculpted bronze Rainey Gates, designed by Paul Manship, at the Bronx Zoo in The Bronx, one of five county-level divisions within sprawling New York, New York". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ Highsmith, Carol M. (January 1, 2018), Detail of the 1934 sculpted bronze Rainey Gates, designed by Paul Manship, at the Bronx Zoo in The Bronx, one of five county-level divisions within sprawling New York, New York, retrieved January 31, 2025
