The Statue of Liberty - Facts and Figures
The Statue of Liberty is a renowned symbol of freedom and equality. The copper statue, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi with a metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue is an iconic figure of freedom, depicting the Roman goddess Libertas. She holds up her torch with one hand and carries tabula ansata marked “July 4th, 1776" in order to commemorate America's declaration of independence from Great Britain.
In 1865, a French law professor and politician named Edouard René de Laboulaye is said to have commented that any monument raised in honor of U.S independence would properly be joint project between the American people as well as those from France.
The Statue of Liberty is a major attraction for tourists visiting New York City. The United States Lighthouse Board administered the statue from 1901-1933, and then Department Of War again until 1941 when it passed into federal hands once more to become part our national park system under Luna National Monument status - public access around her torch has been banned since 1916 though.
Design and Construction
When the Frenchmen at dinner reached into their imaginations to imagine a woman holding aloft a flaming torch, they envisioned not just freedom but also something much more. A year later in 1866, Bartholdi's statue " Liberty Enlightening The World" would be placed on New York City’s shores - becoming one of America’s most enduring symbols and delivering light far beyond its shores.
When Liberty Enlightening the World was first proposed, its creator Edouard Laboulaye suggested that sculptor Auguste Bartholdi visit America to study our nation’s iconography. He made sketches of his concept while here and then returned home where he worked on developing this idea for years before finally executing it as you see today.
The announcement of the planned pedestal for Laboulaye's statue caused a generally favorable reaction in France. Interest grew when it became clear that Americans would pay for the pedestal while France will finance the project. When Bartholdi came to the United States for his second trip, he addressed many groups about building a monument. He encouraged committees from around America to raise money so they could complete this project in time; one such group was made up of New Yorkers who became known as "the American Committee". One member during these early stages was 19-year-old Theodore Roosevelt who later went on to become president himself.
On June 17, 1885, the French steamer Isèrearrived in New York with a cargo of disassembled Statue Parts. The excited crowds lining up to see what they had been waiting so long for became an everyday sight on Brooklyn's docks and amongst boats putting out into Port authority determines that 80% were received under $1. This would be one example among many others where donations flooded in from all over America after word spread about this revolutionary artwork coming back together again.
On October 28, 1886, a ceremony of dedication was held to celebrate the building's completion. The former New York governor and president Grover Cleveland presided over the event. Parade estimates range from several hundred thousand people up to a million who watched the dedication.
Fast Facts about the Statue of Liberty
Height of copper statue (to torch): 151 feet 1 inch (46 meters)
From ground level to torch: 305 feet 1 inch (93 meters)
You have to climb 354 steps to look out into the crown.
The statue is covered in 300 sheets of coin-thin copper hammered into different shapes and riveted together.
The arm with the torch measures 46 feet (14 meters); the finger, 8 feet (2.4 meters); the nose, nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters).
The seven rays of the crown represent the seven seas of the world.
Weight of copper used in statue is 60,000 pounds or 27.22 tonnes
Visiting the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are only accessible by ferry. The vessels embark from locations in lower Manhattan and New Jersey with scheduled departures.
As of writing, the Statue of Liberty crown access is not yet open. However, the grounds, pedestal, museum and theater are open.
Visitors are strongly advised to make an advance ticket booking to avoid long queues in Battery Park, NY and Liberty State Park in NJ.
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