UCity Directory 2024

38 2024-25 | University City Community Directory THE STORY OF THE LIONS • The original Lion Gates (called the “Gates of Opportunity” by University City founder Edward G. Lewis) were erected in 1909. • The figures were sculpted by George Julian Zolnay, who directed the Art Department of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. A native of Hungary, he remained in St. Louis after the fair to teach at Washington University and later at the Art Academy founded by E.G. Lewis. • Although widely known as the “Lion Gates,” the “lioness” figure is actually a tiger. • The pylons supporting the monumental figures were designed by noted architects William S. Eames and Thomas Crane Young. • The sculptures, constructed of reinforced concrete, weathered and deteriorated over the years. In 1989, new figures were cast by Washington University Technology Associates using molds taken from the original sculptures. The weathered sculptures were removed and the new models erected in 1991. Three years later, a bond issue paid for the restoration of the supporting pillars as well. LIONS GATE PHOTO BY ED NICKELS