Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty
Few monuments are more famous than The Statue of Liberty in the United States and thousands come to visit her every year from all over the world. The American Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the French were instrumental in helping the young American’s win their revolution and a special bond was created between those two nations. Some might even claim the American Revolution inspired the French revolt a few years later.
As the one hundred year commemoration of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence approached, the French desired to give the people a friendship gift intended to be completed by 1876. For this purpose, they commissioned sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. However, their aim was not completely unselfish as at the time France was still in turmoil with some wanting to return to a Napoleon style government. Their gift therefore was steeped in politics and was designed to remind the French people of the kind of liberty they could retain.
At the cost $250,000, the money necessary for the construction of the statue in France and the base built by the Americans in America was raised through donations, entertainment, lotteries, art exhibits, prize fights and auctions.
Lady Liberty wears a stola, a crown and sandals. She tramples a broken chain, carries a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other with the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI engraved on it. To today’s engineers, it is interesting to learn she is made of sheets of pure copper on a steel frame. Her torch is coated in gold leaf and her pedestal is made of stone. From the bottom of the base to her tip, she is 305 ft (93 m) tall.
Perhaps more fascinating was the model used for the face of which there was much speculation at the time. Some believe her to be a well known widow while others thought her stern look was that of the sculpture’s mother. It was a secret Bartholdi never revealed.
Once complete, the statue was disassembled and the 350 pieces were crated and sent to America in a French frigate. However, the pedestal was not finished and the pieces remained in storage for eleven months. Then it took four more months to construct and was finally unveiled by President Grover Cleveland. In gratitude, the US donated $10,000,000 USD to various charities in France ten years later.
The Statue of Liberty was originally a lighthouse, could be seen from 24 miles (39 km) at sea and was the first in the US to use electricity. Wilbur Wright flew his airplane around her in 1909. In 1916 floodlights were added to the base.
Then tragedy struck. In World War 1, a nearby munitions depot was blown up by Germans, caused thousands of dollars worth of damage and closed the torch to visitors. The sculptor of Mount Rushmore was commissioned to make repairs but was unable to prevent leaking rain and snow which caused corrosion inside the statue.
A replica of the Statue in Paris, France, faces west towards her sister in New York Harbor.
Today the Statue of Liberty is open to the public with hourly tour boats, harbor cruises and ferry service taking travelers to the island. It is indeed a must see when visiting the States.
By Marti Talbott Marti Talbott’s Highlander Stories
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