Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is the National Monument located on a 12 acre Liberty Island in New York. It is the symbol of freedom and democracy. This exquisite monument was inaugurated on 28th of October 1886 by the President Grover Cleveland.

It was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and it stands as enlightening the World. It was the gesture of friendship presented by France to United States.

The statue is of a female figure made of copper based on the suggestion of Eugene Viollet–le Duc. The technic of repousse is adopted in its carving. The statue holds a flaming torch high in her right hand, and the flame of the torch is coated with gold leaf. In her left hand a stone is held by her with the words of July IV MDCCLXXVI, (July 4, 1776) embedded on it. This date is to commemorate the Independence of the United States.

The foundation of the statue is in the eleven pointed star shape. The pedestal is of rectangular stonework. The statue is 151’1” tall. From the foundation to the pedestal, the height is 154 feet. Inside the statue there are 354 steps and 25 windows in the crown which includes jewels beneath the seven rays of the diadem.

The Statue of Liberty represents the ancient Rome’s goddess, Libertas who is a goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression and tyranny. It is for the same reason the statue of liberty holds obviously classical appearance (stola, sandals, countenance and expression). There are also broken shackles lie at her feet.

The United States Information Agency (USIA) has stated that the seven spikes in the crown represent the seven seas and seven continents. The torch signifies enlightenment. The statue is also called as the Lady Liberty. Since 1903, it is associated with Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" and obtained a new meaning as a symbol of welcome to immigrants.

Location

The great Statue of Liberty is situated on Liberty Island, near Jersey city, New Jersey, New York, USA

Historical Importance

To mark the Centennial of the American Declaration of Independence of United States, France decided to present a gift and a committee was formed under leadership of the politician and the sympathetic writer of the history of the United States, Édouard René Lefèvre de Laboulaye. French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi was commissioned to design the sculpture and the year 1876 was the proposed completion year. Many different models were referred for the face of the statue.

While in a visit to Egypt, Bartholdi was influenced by the Suez Canal project and was envisaged to design the light house patterned after the Roman goddess Libertas. He designed a robed Egyptian peasant, a fallaha, with light beaming out from both a headband and a torch thrust dramatically upward into the skies, but the project was never commissioned.

Later in a joint effort of both America and French, base was decided to be constructed by Americans and the statue to be completed by the French. Public donations were raised in this regard and many theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights were organized to provide the required funds.

With the assistance from, the structural engineer Maurice Koechlin, the assistance of Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower), the right arm and the torch part of the work was completed by 1876.  By 1878, the head of the statue was completed and showcased in the garden of the Trocadéro palace, while other pieces were on display in the Champs de Mars.

Back in America, the site known as Bedloe's Island, where there was already an early 19th century star-shaped fortification was selected. In 1879, Bartholdi was granted the design patent for his design. The financing for the statue was completed in France in July, 1882 and the fund raising for the pedestal was completed in 1883. The statue was completed in France in July, 1884.

The statue was brought to America and on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in front of thousands of spectators. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was added to the World Heritage List.