The United States Statue of Liberty is an icon., in addition to being considered a national treasure. It is one of the most recognized statues in the world and every year more than 4.000.000 people appreciate the greatness of this symbol of freedom, inspiration and hope.
If you want to know more about the history and origin of the Statue of Liberty from New York, then we will tell you about it.
What is the story about the Statue of Liberty?
In the year 1865 the French Auguste Bartholdi had the idea of ​​making a gift to the people of the United States from France. This artist was an ardent supporter of the United States and wanted to commemorate the centennial of the country's Declaration of Independence.
In those years there was a close friendship between both countries and he was moved by the recent abolition of slavery in the United States. This fact fostered the ideals of freedom and equality among all citizens of the United States. The statue's design contained a great deal of symbolism, as you can see. Furthermore, its history is intrinsically linked to the evolution of liberty and art throughout different eras, a topic you can explore in our section on history of art.
How was the Statue of Liberty financed?
Funds were raised and numerous private capital contributions were made in order to start creating the Statue of Liberty in France. The French would finance the entire sculpture, while the American people would finance the pedestal on which it stands today on Liberty Island.
To raise funds, the French used various means, including organizing various public events, a lottery, and private capital contributions from French businessmen. The Americans, for their part, financed the pedestal by holding several charity events and art exhibitions, which reflected American society's commitment to the cause of freedom.
Despite all the efforts made by both nations, raising sufficient funds to build the pedestal was slow. In 1885 Joseph Pulitzer decided to publish an advertisement in his New York newspaper, in which he invited all his readers to make donations to the cause. Finally, they managed to raise about $100.000, and thanks to this brilliant idea, the statue's pedestal was built.
The construction of the statue was completed in France in July 1884.This great sculpture rose above the rooftops of Paris awaiting its sea voyage, an event that would mark a new chapter in the history of the Statue of Liberty. You can find more information about great monuments at Mount Rushmore.
That same year, architect Richard Morris was selected, among many other architects of the time, to design the granite pedestal for the gigantic sculpture, which would become a symbol of architecture and art in the context of the Statue of Liberty's history.
The journey of the Statue of Liberty
To organize the transatlantic voyage of the Statue of Liberty, the grande dame was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in more than 200 boxes.
The ship departed from France and arrived in New York harbor on June 17, 1885. The statue remained in pieces until work on the pedestal was finally completed in April 1886.
The history of the Statue of Liberty and its island has been one of continuous change. For many centuries, the island was important, as it was inhabited by Native Americans and later occupied by Dutch settlers. In 1807, the American army established a military outpost on the island and built a fort to protect New York Harbor. For this reason, the creation of the Statue of Liberty is a symbol for the island, as many historical events have occurred there that have shaped the nation's character, a theme that can also be seen in Myths and legends.
The torch
The French artist considered that the torch should not be lit with fire, since this would make the statue in danger over time due to the corrosion that the fire could cause in the original materials.
Therefore, instead A solid, gold-colored copper plate was installed to make it shine in the daylight. During its first half-century, the torch has undergone numerous modifications. In fact, when Lady Liberty was unveiled in 1886, two rows of bull's-eyes were cut into the copper at the bottom of the torch to illuminate it from both the outside and inside—a groundbreaking decision in the history of the Statue of Liberty.
A few years later, an 18-inch crystal belt replaced the top row of portholes and a pyramidal skylight with red, white and yellow glass was installed on top of the flame.
The changes continued until 1916, when the copper was removed entirely and replaced with amber glass, thus showing how the perception of the statue has evolved over the years, a process that is also observed in Hindu art.
In 1931 a new lighting system was installed, which required the making of two holes in the part of the torch, through which several projectors emulating a flame were installed.
Due to rain seepage and corrosion over time, On July 4, 1984, the original torch portion was replaced with a replica.
What other fun facts do you know about the Statue of Liberty in New York?