The Statue of Liberty
Created | Updated Oct 12, 2005
"Bring me your tired, huddled masses yearning to be free."
The History
The Statue of Liberty, a beacon of hope for immigrants, a symbol of pride for American citizens, a New York City legend. Lady Liberty was given as a gift to the United States from France as a lasting reminder of the friendship they established during the American Revolution. The French commissioned sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi to begin in 1875 with the name "Liberty Enlightening the World". They wanted it to be completed in 1876, as it was the centennial for the signing of the Declaration of Independance.
The other integral part of designing the statue was its engineer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel designed a tower inside of the statue that would be connected to the external copper with metal bars. This helped support her and help the design in various engineering ways. Eiffel would go on to design the Eiffel Tower.
The Pedestal
The American effort toward the statue is noted as well. The government raised the funds for the pedestal, designed by Richard Hunt and helped in fundraising by Joseph Pulitzer (Whom the Pulitzer Prizes are named for) by championing the idea in his newspaper, "New York World"
The Design
Bartholi designed her as a Roman goddess, wearing a palla, which is a cloak that is clasped on her shoulder. She wears size 879 sandals. The pedesal is about the same height that the statue herself is. Bartholdi created this statue with a lot of symbolism. The seven spikes in her crown represent the seven seas of the world, Arctic, Antarctic, North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, and Indian. The 25 windows in the crown represent the natural minerals of the earth. There are chains below her feet, to symobolize the broken shackles of slavery. Liberty's gaze is eastern, towards Europe, as Bartholdi considered the continent less enlightented of Liberty than the United States.
The design of the statue allows for inner traffic. People can go up the stairs or elevator to the torch to see all of the harbor. This is free, but closed to most people for fear of a terrorist attack.
The Island
Bartholdi selected Bedloe Island for the site of the massive statue. The island was renamed Liberty Island for the statue, but had gone by many names before. Native Americans had named it "Minnissais", meaning lesser land. It had served as a British Naval Commanders home, it had also been the site of Fort Wood, which was used for protection of the harbor in 1811.
Fundraising
Funds for the project were such an issue for both countries that Bartholdi himself had to tour the United States and France to raise money. He missed his deadline by almost ten years partly due to lack of funding. An important fundraiser for the project, Joseph Pulitzer helped raise awareness and money for the magnificent statue by making comments in the editorials of his newspaper, claiming that the rich failed to help, and the middle-class assume the rich will help.
Completion
The statue was completed in France in July, 1884, considerably behind the schedule of July 1876. The pedestal was completed in April, 1886. The French brought all of the 350 pieces of Lady Liberty over the Atlantic Ocean on the frigate "Isere" and re-assembled them on their new home in four months. The dedication in October 1886 was before thousands, and the American President Grover Cleveland said "We will not forget that liberty here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected" In October, there were millions in the streets in a parade celebrating the monument.
The New Colossus- The Sonnet
-Emma Lazarus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
The Specifications
The incredible statue holds a tablet in her left hand with the date July Fourth 1776, American Independance day, in Roman numerals, which is what they carved into it, reads July IV MDCCLXXVI. The massive figure stands about 150 feet, or 46.5 metres tall, from her base to her highest point. Her height from heel to head is about 110 feet or 34 metres. She weighs 225 tons or 450,000 pounds total.
