The Statue of Liberty is perhaps America's most iconic landmark. This colossal neoclassical sculpture stands proudly on Liberty Island guarding the New York Harbor. This is a must-see for all Americans, few things symbolize the ideals for which America believes in and strives for more than her - even if mistakes and injustices are made along the way. This is the dream for a land of liberty and a haven for the oppressed. Lady Liberty is a proud symbol of the quest for freedom and a life free from oppression. See here other impressive statues around the world.
About The Statue Of Liberty
- Date Built: 1886
- Sculptor: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi of France
The copper statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States and since the age of cinema has been the scene of innumerable superhero fight scenes (and aliens destroying the earth on Independence Day). Regardless of Rick & Morty, it is highly unlikely there is a French robot hiding in the statue waiting to take over the United States, instead she is the figure of Libertas - a robed Roman liberty goddess.
Libertas is of course Latin for "liberty" or "freedom". She was a politicized goddess during the Roman Late Republic. The Greek equivalent of the Roman goddess was Eleutheria who was also the personification of liberty. In 1848 Litertas was depicted on the Great Seal of France - this had a direct influence on Bartholdi to choose her as the symbol for the project.
Inscriptions On Lady Liberty
Famously Lady Liberty holds a torch up high in her right hand and a tabula ansata is held in her left. On the tablet is inscribed July IV MDCCLXXVI (that is July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals).
Of course, it would be many years until America was the truly land of the free from Independence. And at her feet lay broken chains and a broken shackle commemorating the then-recent abolition of slavery.
The project was funded via donations from various fundraising campaigns starting from 1882. In one of the efforts, the poet Emma Lazarus was asked to write and donate an original work for the project. At first, she protested saying that she couldn't write a poem about a statue. At the time there were pogroms in Eastern Europe uprooting many people and sending them fleeing to New York. Emma was working with these refugees at the time who were the victims of Anti-Semitism. Inspired by the plight of these newly arrived Americans-to-be she wrote the sonnet, "The New Colossus". The famous lines are inscribed on the plaque of the Statue.
"Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"
The Building And Maintaining Of The Statue
Perhaps one of the first times Lady Liberty appeared onscreen as the symbol of welcoming and heralding liberty to the many millions of immigrants to America was in Charlie Chaplin films.
- Historical Fact: The Project That Led To The Statue Of Liberty Was Delayed by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 (Where France Was Crushed By Prussia And Prussia Unified Germany And Created The German Empire)
Interestingly, the head and the torch-bearing arm were built before the statue had even been fully designed. Funding for the project was difficult and a lack of funds nearly derailed the project, but finally, the statue was built in France and then shipped to New York in crates.
Originally Lady Liberty was a dull copper color as she is made out of copper. But she began to get the green patina after 1900 due to the oxidation of her copper skin. By 1906 she was completely covered with the layer of oxidation and she had completely changed color. At first, there was fear that the corrosion would damage the statue and it was to be painted to protect it. But on closer inspection, it was found that it did not harm the statue.
Consequently, if exterior parts need to be replaced now, they need to be weathered and oxidized before installation, otherwise, there would be odd pieces of copper-colored copper on her.
- Former Name: Liberty Island Was Formerly Called Bedloe's Island
- President: The Dedication Ceremony Was Presided by President Grover Cleveland
Today the statue is open to the public and is maintained by the National Park Service as a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Unfortunately, for more than a hundred years the public has been barred from the torch - it seems only the X-Men can access that. Formerly it was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 when it fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of War for some reason until 1933.
- Restoration Projects: The Statue Has Had Continuous Restoration Projects In 1938, 1984–1986, 2011–2012