Facts about the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is considered one of the most seen monument in the world. Lady Liberty can be seen by anyone visiting New York City, but not everyone is aware that she has her own mysteries.
It symbolized the United States of America all over the world. Earlier many people including me were connecting it with Florence Nightingale.
While the Crimean war she treated wounded soldiers carrying a torch in hand, which resembles the Statue of Liberty with her.
But it has not connected with Florence at any point. One of the amazing facts about Statue of Liberty is, she might not even be a lady at all!
The Statue of Liberty was in 300 copper pieces
Statue of Liberty foots - history Things
The Statue of Liberty is made of 300 copper pieces and when it was one split into pieces.
It was difficult to reassemble, but the Statue of Liberty arrived in nearly 300 copper parts from France on June 17, 1885.
On the French ship Isère, the important cargo was transported in 214 containers.
The torch-bearing arm, however, was not present with it. It stood in Madison Square Park for six years to raise funds for the pedestal's funding.
Before installation - Daily
200,000 crowds stood to welcome the statue to the United States when the ship carrying it arrived.
President Grover Cleveland presided over the official dedication ceremony, which took place on October 28, 1886.
The Statue represents a Roman Goddess
The Goddess Libertas, a Roman goddess who symbolizes freedom. She is the inspiration for the statue's name. Libertas, which means a supporter of the Republic.
It first appeared on Roman coins from the time of Julius Caesar's assassination.
It was first the crowd-funding campaign in history.
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, first started a funding campaign for the statue in his native country. The local government funded to complete this project.
When it was completed, the sculptor donated it to the United States as a gift on the condition that they construct a pedestal for it.
For a few years, the status of the statute was unclear because the federal government didn't like the idea.
Then came the involvement of American newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer. He effectively launched one of the first large-scale crowd-funding efforts in history, promising every contribution an honorable mention in his Newspaper.
Despite the fact that 80 percent of the donations were small and from middle-class people, Pulitzer was successful in raising the required funds from almost 120,000 people.
By the way, the fund-raising campaign included the renowned sonnet "The New Colossus," which may still be found on a bronze plaque within the Statue.
Also Read : US Presidents Term of Office
The Statue of Liberty wasn't Green since installation.
The Statue of Liberty wasn't always in a green-colored tone, because the Statue of Liberty is made of copper, its initial color was similar to that of a penny or copper tone.
According to the New-York Historical Society, oxidation caused it to turn totally green by 1920.
Once upon a time, it was half brown, half green. The new color sustained the renovation, and the coating, known as patina, is said to last forever.
It was once used as a lighthouse
The statue was built with the intention of serving as a beacon for ships entering New York Harbor.
It became one-two years after it arrived in the United States. The lantern on the Statue of Liberty worked as a beacon for 16 years.
But it wasn't bright enough, and Bartholdi, out of ideas, offered to coat the entire figure in gold to brighten it up.
Congress rejected his proposal because it would have been extremely expensive due to its grand size.
The Oceans and Continents are represented by the spikes on the crown
The crown of the Statue of Liberty has seven spikes, representing the world's seven oceans and continents.
It also emphasizes her message of
- welcome,
- inclusiveness, and
- freedom.
The number of windows in its skull is also a clear reference to the number 7. There are a total of 25 of them, which adds to seven when the digits are added together.
The torch is surrounded by 16 leaves, and the monument is 151 feet tall. The total of those two digits is also seven.
That number must have mattered a lot to the Statue's creators.
It could be linked to the Freemasons
According to legend, the Statue of Liberty was meant to be clothed as an Arab peasant lady and to stand near the southern entrance to Egypt's Suez Canal.
Egypt's ruler couldn't afford it, Bartholdi recreated it, giving it a new dress and a new name, and gave it to the American people as a gift to mark the American Revolution's anniversary.
So, how does this relate to the masons?
Bartholdi was, after all, a Freemason. His interest in Egypt came from his role as a representative of the French Grand Orient Temple Masons.
He reportedly wanted the statue to symbolize "the Orient facing up."
The torch held by Lady Liberty is known as the "Torch of Enlightenment" or the "Flaming Torch of Reason" in Masonic culture.
Gustave Eiffel created Pedestal to support the Statue
The Statue of Liberty's pedestal was constructed on Liberty Island's historic Fort Wood.
It now houses museums that display the Statue's history through antique images, videos, recorded oral histories, and the original torch that Lady Liberty carried in 1886.
The steel interior framework that keeps the statue stable was designed by famous engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel ((yes, the man who made the Eiffel Tower)
It can sustain approximately 600 bolts of lightning every year. When the wind is high, the Statue and its torch can move by around 3 inches and 5 inches, respectively.
The crown of Lady Liberty, which is open to visitors, is reached through 354 steps; however, the torch is not. Have you ever paid a visit to the Statue of Liberty?
There are numerous Statues of Liberty
There are numerous Statues of Liberty. And I'm not referring to the plastic replicas or the one on Las Vegas Boulevard.
In Paris's Jardin du Luxembourg, you may see a smaller Statue of Liberty, which was the initial model for its large sister.
It's been there since 1906, when Bartholdi donated it to the Luxembourg museum in preparation for the 1900 World's Fair.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French revolution in 1889, a new version of the renowned statue was made on an island in the Seine River.
Paris-island-river-Seine: dreamstimes
Pont de l-Alma in Paris
Jardin-du-Luxembourg-Paris
It bears two dates: July 4, 1776, and July 14, 1789, symbolizing two nations' friendship and the value of revolution.
A life-size replica of the torch can also be seen on the Pont de l'Alma in Paris. It was made with the help of people from all around the world as a symbol of Franco-American friendship.
On the 100th anniversary of the Statue's dedication, it was placed near the Eiffel Tower.
Of course, the Statue has inspired many of the public and contemporary art initiatives, and one of its most renowned replicas greets visitors to a Times Square toy store.
The Statue of Liberty's face may be that of a man
Do you notice the Statue of Liberty as a she when you think of it?
The majority of people believe it's a portrayal of Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty. According to popular belief, Bartholdi designed her face after his mother.
Elizabeth Mitchell, an author and journalist believe that the artist used his brother's face as a model!
The writer noticed his mother had a different brow shape, narrow nose and lips, and a smaller mouth while viewing images of Bartholdi's family.
She then pointed out the statue's striking similarity to the sculptor's brother in his adult years.
Bartholdi's brother spent years in the hospital due to his mental illness, and Frederic would spend hours watching him.
That could've aided him in meticulously recreating his face. Nathalie Salmon, a French writer, suggested another explanation, claiming that Lady Liberty was designed after her ancestor Sarah Salmon.
Sarah's features, according to her, were particularly attractive to Bartholdi.
Despite the fact that she had moved to the United States, she and her husband made a visit to the sculptor's studio in Paris in 1875.
He may have taken advantage of the moment to sketch Sarah and later used the photographs as a model.