The famous icon of the entire United States and the source of pride of the American people is the Statue of Liberty, which stands on a small island near Manhattan. The island on which the statue stands was renamed Liberty Island in honor of this remarkable sculpture, although until 1956 the official name of the island was Bedlow Island.
The Statue of Liberty in New York is a symbol of a prosperous life
The world's tallest sculpture, the Statue of Liberty, has been welcoming and seeing off ships in the Big Apple Harbor for over a century. For some, it has become a tourist attraction, a magnificent example of sculptural art, while for others it is a true symbol of freedom and happiness.
The height of the Statue of Liberty is 93 meters, of which 46 meters are on the sculpture itself, and the remaining on the impressive pedestal. The Roman goddess Libertas is gracefully depicted with a tablet in her left hand and a torch in her right. The date of adoption of the Declaration of Independence of America is engraved on the tablet. It was this important event that inspired the creation of the Statue of Liberty, which France gave to the United States in honor of the centenary of the signing of the declaration.
The path to freedom: 356 steps
To reach the top there are 356 steps to climb, starting with a 192-step staircase that leads to the pedestal. This magnificent path is crowned with a sculptural composition created from 31 tons of copper. The entire steel frame, designed by Gustave Eiffel himself, weighs 125 tons and serves as the basis for this great architectural intricacy.
Most of the work was completed in France. And the choice of the appearance of this particular goddess was determined by many factors, one of which was the veneration that the Americans felt for her. The characteristic facial features of the goddess were recreated by the sculptor, based on the appearance of her own mother. To make the statue, thin sheets of copper were used, the thickness of which was about 3 mm.
Entry to the territory of Liberty Island is absolutely free, however, to get to the island, tourists will have to purchase a ferry ticket. When boarding the ferry, passengers are required to undergo mandatory security screening, similar to what is carried out at airports. In addition, the statue is equipped with several webcams, which provide visitors with the opportunity to take a closer look at the various elements of the sculpture and enjoy beautiful views of New York Harbor.
Statue of Liberty - Interesting Facts
- Correct name
Officially, this statue is called "Liberty Enlightening the World", and the "Statue of Liberty" is a kind of "pseudonym".
- Red to green
The original copper statue was a shade of reddish brown, reminiscent of an American penny. However, to everyone's surprise, it eventually acquired a greenish-blue patina over the next two centuries. (Yes, this is true - you probably already knew!)
- One way ticket
The statue was completed and first presented to the US Ambassador to France on July 4, 1884. However, she continued to remain in Europe until she was dismantled into 300 pieces. These parts were carefully packed into 214 boxes and shipped to the United States in 1885, where it was reassembled. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean took a week longer than planned, because the ship carrying this ton of steel in the form of a statue was nearly wrecked during a severe storm.
- Let there be light!
From its installation in 1886 until 1906, the Statue of Liberty served as a beacon. However, the power of the signal light on it turned out to be insufficient to significantly help ships in orientation after nightfall, and therefore the Freedom Lighthouse was closed after 16 years.
- Lady Liberty's Tablet
The tablet in the hand of the statue is engraved with the inscription "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI", which in Roman means "July 4, 1776" - the day of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
- The torch and its history
The statue's torch was accessible to visitors until a black powder explosion incident in 1916 damaged the dress and torch. In 1986, the statue was restored and its damaged and corroded torch was moved to the main entrance and replaced with a new one, plated in 24-karat gold.
