That got me thinking. What is this iconic statue all about?  How was it constructed? And why did the French give it to the USA?

It’s an interesting story.

The Statue of Liberty was the brainchild of French statesman,  Edouard de Laboulaye, who admired American democracy and rejection of slavery. He first conceived of a great statue celebrating these principles in 1865.  It was to take over twenty years before his dream became a reality.  He appointed sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartoli to design the statue, and after some changes, a clothed figure depicting the goddess Libertas was approved. Constructing the world’s largest and most innovative statue was no mean feat, and was super expensive. The arm bearing the torch was made first and sent to Philadelphia for the inaugural World’s Fair in 1876.  Visitors bought tickets to climb inside the arm and walk around the gallery encircling the torch.  The arm was then moved to New York City, where it stayed for six years before being returned to France. Similarly, the head, (styled apparently, after Bartoli’s mother), was fashioned early and displayed at the Paris Expo in 1878 to raise funds for the project. The crown’s spokes represent not only the sun but also the seven seas and the seven continents. Obviously, the engineers had to get the scale of these body parts correct so that they could be united with the rest of the statue. Completion of the endeavor took years and provided employment for many French craftsmen. The relatively thin copper exterior was built in sections and was not load-bearing. Instead, there is an ingenious internal metal structure including a “spine” engineered by Gustave Eiffel, who was later to gain fame for his Eiffel Tower. The innovative structure allowed the statue to flex in the wind and tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Finally,  the statue was deconstructed and shipped to New York, but the Americans had run out of money and had not completed the enormous pedestal. It took an appeal by Joseph Pulitzer in his publication, “The World” to raise the remaining funds, which trickled in a dollar at a time. In 1886 the statue was attached to the base making it, at that time, the largest in the world. (India’s Statue of Unity now surpasses it). It took a further thirty years for the copper to oxidize fully, turning “Lady Liberty” into the distinctive green color we all recognize. 

She bears the torch illuminating the way of freedom, in her right hand and, in her left, a book inscribed in Roman numerals with the date of America’s independence.  At her feet are broken shackles representing emancipation from slavery. Emma Lazarus’ poem was not added until 1903.

As politicians like to say, especially during election season, the ideals of freedom and democracy are still not fully realized especially for many disadvantaged groups, but “Libertas” is there to remind us never to tire in their pursuit.

And,  as for our cats, the little one is in hot pursuit of a grasshopper, and the older one lounges on the deck, relishing 
Freedom – Liberty!

News Flash!

End Notes

Reading

Listening

Somewhere Over the Rainbow /
What a Wonderful World
Israel IZ Kamakawiwoʻole

Viewing

Alone
Season 11, Netflix

Poetry

Gone From My Sight
Henry Vam Dyke