Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was built in Paris by the Frenchman Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. The sculptor worked in collaboration with Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the Eiffel Tower and the designer of Lady Liberty's steel frame. The sculpture was a gift from France to the United States of America on the one-hundredth anniversary of US independence. It was erected atop an American-designed pedestal on a small Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay and inaugurated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886 at the entrance to New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most literal representations of an idea through a sculptural landmark in the world. She welcomed immigrants to the new land and instilled hope for a liberal life full of opportunity. Since millions of immigrants bypassed Ellis Island until 1943, the statue has been understood and continues to represent hope, freedom, and justice. Today, the instantly recognizable silhouette around the world is most often associated with New York City or the United States.
Materials And Parameters
Bartholdi began drafting designs in 1870 and directed his artistic team through the sculpting process, which took place between 1875 and 1884. The Statue of Liberty was made out of roughly 31 tons of hammered copper sheets around the steel frame and was completed in 1885. The statue stood over 151 feet (46 meters) tall and weighed 225 tons without its current pedestal.
The Statue of Liberty was then disassembled, packed in more than 200 crates, and shipped to New York to be mounted on her real pedestal. The sculpture arrived in June aboard the French frigate "Isere." Reassembled in four months on Liberty Island in 1886, Lady Liberty stood at the final height of 305 feet (or 93 meters), including the pedestal. The torch measures 29 feet (8.8 meters) from the flame tip to the bottom of the handle. Lady Liberty underwent an extensive renovation in 1986 for her centennial birthday since her dedication.
Early History
Near the end of the American Civil War in 1865, the French historian Edouard de Laboulaye proposed the idea for the statue as a gift to the United States to celebrate building a viable democracy. The large-scale sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi got the commission and began designing the sculpture, which was planned to be completed in 1876 by the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.
The Statue of Liberty was assembled in a joint effort between the French and the Americans, where the latter built the pedestal as a symbol of the solidity of friendship between the two nations. Despite all the plans, the work began only in 1875, after raising enough funds for the sculpture, which is another story.
Fundraising
The United States led in fundraising for the pedestal, which included contests, benefits, and exhibitions, while France worked on the construction. Joseph Pulitzer, a leading New York newspaperman, raised the last funds through his newspaper, the World. "The New Colossus, a sonnet written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus and displayed on a plaque at the entrance, was also part of the fundraising contest, with its most famous passage:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" This country's greatness and true genius lies in its diversity."
The passage symbolizes one of the statue's roles: a welcoming notion to the millions of immigrants coming to America for a new life in a free and democratic country.
Design And Construction
Bartholdi designed the massive sculpture of a woman with a raised torch, which he titled "Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World." He allegedly modeled Lady Liberty's face after his mother's and used a repousse technique of hammering large copper sheets for her skin. He called Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the designer of Paris' Eiffel Tower, to assemble the skeleton underneath the skin, which Eiffel built with Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. The skeleton is made from iron pylons and steel, which lets the copper skin move independently to endure strong winds, which is common in New York Harbor.
The American architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the pedestal, which was constructed inside Fort Wood's courtyard, a fortress used during the War of 1812 on Bedloe's Island in Upper New York Bay, just off Manhattan's southern tip. As the sculpture continued to rise, the looming silhouette offered a majestic welcome to the arriving immigrants who passed through Ellis Island.
Recent History
On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators. Upon accepting the Statue of Liberty on behalf of the US, he declared, "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."
The US government opened a federal immigration station on Ellis Island in 1892 in Upper New York Bay, nearby Bedloe's Island. Some 12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island from that year and up to 1954 before receiving permission to enter the United States, with the peak period being from 1900 to 1914, with about 5,000 to 10,000 people every day. The US Lighthouse Board operated the Statue of Liberty until 1901 since its torch was also a guiding light for navigating sailors.
Lady Liberty was under the jurisdiction of the US War Department during Fort Wood's operational years as an army post until 1924. That year, the federal government declared her a national monument and transferred the care to the National Parks Service in 1933. In 1956, Bedloe's Island was renamed Liberty Island, and in 1965, Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, over ten years after it closed as an immigration station.
The statue's base depicts the monument's history through exhibits and the original torch from 1886. Visitor access to this Statue of Liberty's torch has been halted since July 1916, when Germany set off an explosion on the nearby Black Tom peninsula during the First World War.
Symbolism
The statue was conceived as a symbol of friendship between France and the US. It pointed to their mutual belief in liberty and human rights while celebrating slavery's abolition after the US Civil War. She gained various roles, and the symbolism evolved from the "Mother of Exiles," which welcomed immigrants. The national landmark in Upper New York Bay captures an idea, symbolizing the universal symbol of freedom.
Lady Liberty holds a torch in her raised right hand as a symbol of a guiding light on the path to freedom. The symbolism persisted from installation through welcoming immigrants, wars, 9/11, and other events. The present-day torch has been redesigned and restored several times. Her left hand clutches a tablet with the date of the Declaration of Independence's adoption inscribed in Roman numerals as follows: "JULY IV, MDCCLXXVI."
Restoration And Closure
Rain, wind, and sun exposure oxidized the statue's skin by the early 20th century, giving it a distinctive green hue called verdigris. However, it was not until 1984 that Lady Liberty received her first "rejuvenation" treatment. She was closed to the public for massive restoration efforts to clean up the Lady in time for her first centennial celebration.
During restoration, the United Nations designated the statue a World Heritage Site. The Statue of Liberty reopened to the public on July 5, 1986, on its centennial birthday, in a big celebration. Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Liberty Island officially closed for 100 days, including access to the statue. The Statue of Liberty reopened to visitors only three years later, in August 2004, while her crown opened for public access only in July 2009.
Plan Your Visit
Come meet Lady Liberty in Upper New York Bay by starting to plan your arrival on Liberty Island, which is under strict regulation for visitors. Obtain tickets online in advance for the pedestal; they are priced around $25 for adults and $13 for kids, and there is a 25% discount for seniors, and show them to the park rangers at the security entrance. Plan ahead if you plan to visit on a certain day; ticketless visitors may be turned away due to limited access.
The entrance to the pedestal is behind the statue, and everyone must go through airport-style security before entering. Once inside, there are 215 steps, or a 10-story climb, to the top of the pedestal, as well as an elevator for those who need it. To visit the crown of the statue, you are required to have tickets in advance. This is an immensely rewarding but popular experience, with only a limited number of visitors allowed per day.
Museum
The Statue of Liberty Museum opened in May 2019 with three galleries, each meant to inspire through a unique interactive experience of storytelling the statue's history in thought-provoking ways. The dramatic Immersive Theater features a 10-minute multimedia experience that takes visitors through space and time along the walls with dynamic images, clips, and narrative. The sweeping story of Lady Liberty and her ideals includes a rich story from the origin, a virtual fly-through inside the statue, and more.
The Engagement Gallery introduces the life of the statue's sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, as well as his team of artisans that worked on the structure's construction over the years. You will experience the inside of the studio and witness the elaborative process surrounding the Statue of Liberty's design, fabrication, and monumentation.
Stop by the Inspiration Gallery to reflect on your discoveries at the museum, with a chance to document your insights through a self-portrait that adds to the museum's "Becoming Liberty" digital gallery. There is also access to see the Lady's most iconic symbol, her original torch, while the glass walls of this gallery open to a panoramic view of Lady Liberty and the New York City skyline. Visit the Roof Deck from the top of the museum for sweeping views of the iconic statue and New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It was originally constructed through a joint effort between the two nations as France's gift to the United States of America, "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World." It was dedicated on October 28, 1886, and welcomed millions of immigrants to Ellis Island looking to live a better life in America. She was designated a National Monument in 1924.
The colossal statue of a woman holding a torch in her right hand on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, US, stands 305 feet (93 meters) high, including the pedestal. The tablet in her left hand bears the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). Visit the pedestal and the observation deck in the pedestal, the museum, and take a spiral staircase to the observation platform of the crown. See the original torch inside; it was a guidelight for sea navigators and has represented a guiding symbol on the path to freedom since then.
