Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture of a robed and crowned woman on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City, U.S. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and its metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue is a figure of a classically draped woman, inspired by the Roman goddess of liberty, Libertas. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. With her left foot she steps on a broken chain and shackle, commemorating the national abolition of slavery following the American Civil War.

After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. The statue has been maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument since 1933 and is a major tourist attraction.

Development

The idea for the Statue of Liberty came from Édouard René de Laboulaye, who wanted to give the United States a gift from France to celebrate American independence and freedom. He discussed this idea with the sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in 1865. Bartholdi was inspired and began planning the statue, which would represent liberty and light the world.

Bartholdi designed the statue to look like a classical Roman goddess. The statue shows a woman holding a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other. The face was loosely modeled after Bartholdi's mother. The statue was built in France and then taken apart to be shipped to the United States, where it was put back together on an island in New York Harbor. It was dedicated in 1886 and has become a famous symbol of freedom and welcome.

After dedication

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Initially, its torch didn’t shine brightly, and it took time to become visible at night. Over the years, it became a powerful symbol, especially for immigrants arriving in the United States through nearby Ellis Island.

The statue changed color over time, developing a green patina due to oxidation. Efforts were made to preserve it, including repairs and lighting improvements. During World War I, it was used to promote war bonds and recruitment. In 1924, it was declared a national monument.

In the 1930s, the National Park Service took over care of the statue and began transforming Liberty Island into a park. During World War II, its lighting was limited due to wartime blackouts, but it was briefly lit on special occasions.

Major renovations took place in the 1980s for the statue’s centennial. Engineers found structural issues and worked to restore and strengthen it. The statue was closed for several years but reopened in 1986 with new lighting, elevators, and a renovated pedestal.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the statue was closed to the public. It reopened in stages, with full access allowed by July 2009. Further closures occurred due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. A new museum on Liberty Island opened in 2019.

Access and attributes

The Statue of Liberty stands in Upper New York Bay on Liberty Island, close to Ellis Island. Both islands belong to the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Visitors can take ferries operated by Statue Cruises from Liberty State Park in Jersey City or the Battery in Lower Manhattan. There is a small fee for the ferry, and security checks are done before boarding.

Inside the statue, there are special tickets needed to go up to the pedestal or the crown. Only a few people each day can visit the crown. The area around the torch has not been open since an old explosion and remains closed.

There are many plaques near the statue. One says it was a gift from France to honor the friendship between France and the United States. Another has a famous poem by Emma Lazarus called "The New Colossus". Several statues on the island honor the people who helped create and support the Statue of Liberty.

Historical designations

President Calvin Coolidge named the Statue of Liberty part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1924. Later, in 1965, Ellis Island was also included in this monument. The statue and Ellis Island were both added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, with the statue receiving this honor on its own in 2017. Additionally, the monument was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1971 and became a New York City designated landmark in 1976.

In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This special title recognizes the statue as an important symbol of ideas like liberty, peace, and human rights.

Measurements

The Statue of Liberty is very tall and impressive! Its height from the base to the tip of the torch is about 305 feet (93 meters). The statue itself, from the base to the top of the head, is about 111 feet (34 meters) tall.

It took a lot of work to build this giant statue. The copper sheets that cover the statue are very thin—only about 3/32 of an inch thick. These sheets were shaped over a metal framework created by the famous engineer Gustave Eiffel, who also helped build the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Depictions

See also: Replicas of the Statue of Liberty and Statue of Liberty in popular culture

Many smaller versions of the Statue of Liberty can be found around the world. One sits on the Île aux Cygnes in Paris, facing west toward the real statue. In the United States, the Boy Scouts of America gave about two hundred small replicas to different places as part of their "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty" campaign.

The Statue of Liberty is also shown on American money and stamps. It has appeared on coins, the back of the ten-dollar bill, and many stamps over the years. It is also used in logos by sports teams like the New York Liberty and appears in movies and music, often as a symbol of America.