The Statue of Liberty, the official name of which is "Freedom Illuminating the World", is fraught with many secrets. The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, Manhattan, in New York City, USA. The main material used in the construction of the Statue is copper.
The statue was presented to America as a gift from the people of France. It reaches a height of 46 meters, but if you count from the top of the pedestal on which it stands to the tip of the torch, then all 93 meters. Two people were involved in the development: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, and Gustave Eiffel, whom everyone knows as the creator of the Eiffel Tower.
For the first time, the idea of creating a statue sounded in 1875 and it took about a year to complete it. The inauguration of the statue took place on October 28 in 1886. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom, which everyone sees as a woman dressed in a robe. This is a reflection of the Roman goddess Libertas.
In her left hand she holds a tablet on which the date of the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence is engraved. With her right hand, the goddess raises a torch above her head. The statue rests with its feet on broken chains, which signify freedom.
10. There are more than a hundred such statues
Hundreds of copies of the Statue of Liberty exist all over the world. 2 replicas of the Statue of Liberty, 9 meters high, are located at the top of the National Bank of Liberty in Buffalo, New York. 3m replica in San Marcos, California, with the Statue holding a Bible instead of a tablet. Las Vegas is famous for its own Statue of Liberty, and in Memphis, Tennessee, there is a replica (7 meters high) that holds a cross instead of a torch.
She is known as the Statue of Liberty in Christ. Outside the United States, there is a 35-meter-high statue in an amusement park in Soltau (Germany) and another in Seine (France), which was inaugurated three years after the official Statue of Liberty appeared in 1889.
Other copies can be seen in England, Norway, Argentina, the Republic of Kosovo, Australia, China, Israel, Taiwan, Japan and Ukraine.
9. Until 2012, the person in charge of the Statue of Liberty lived on the island
The steward's dwelling on Liberty Island is a simple brick two-story house. It was built in the early 1950s to provide shelter for the Statue of Liberty National Monuments Manager and his entire family. This house was such for all managers, as well as their family members from October 1952 to October 2012.
David Lachsinger was the last island manager who was responsible for the Statue of Liberty. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 forced the Lachsinger family to evacuate their home, which suffered multiple injuries. The manager's house has since been located in a different location.
8. During World War II, the Statue's torch did not shine
During World War II, the Statue was not illuminated at night for blackout purposes. However, it was open to tourists. On December 31, 1943, the statue was illuminated; on June 6, 1944, the light from the torch blinked in Morse code, symbolizing victory.
Between 1944 and 1945 more powerful lighting was installed, which was turned on for several hours after sunset for several nights in a row. Since 1957, the torch has been illuminating the statue at night.
7. The hand of the Statue suffered from an explosion in 1916
During the First World War, German saboteurs organized a large-scale explosion in Jersey City on Black Tom Island (now Liberty State Park). The remains of the explosive and dynamite were shipped to France and the UK and resulted in the death of 7 people.
The right hand of the Statue of Liberty, holding a torch, sustained many minor injuries. The visits were closed for 10 days while the renovations were being carried out.
6. For the construction of the Statue of Liberty, a collection of donations was required
The Statue of Liberty is a gift the United States received from France in celebration of the centenary of American independence and in honor of the abolition of slavery. The installation of the sculpture was financed by both sides: the French and the American. However, in 1885 the process of collecting money began to be suspended, threatening the installation of the monument.
Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of The New York World, organized a fundraiser to support the installation of the Statue of Liberty. Pulitzer attracted about 120,000 volunteers, each of whom donated about a dollar. For 6 months, the amount of $ 100 thousand was collected, which made it possible to fully cover the costs of installing the sculpture.
5. The torch was used as a viewing platform
Initially, tourists were allowed to climb to the torch, which was used as an observation deck. However, after an explosion in 1916, the path to the torch was closed for public safety. The observation deck was never reopened.
4. The Statue of Liberty is the Roman goddess Libertas
The Statue of Liberty, designed by Auguste Bartholdi, symbolizes the Roman goddess Libertas. Many countries honor the goddess as a symbol of freedom. This can be seen by the broken chains on which she stands. The goddess who was worshiped in ancient Rome personified freedom.
3. The author of the Statue of Liberty - the future creator of the Eiffel Tower
In connection with the death of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, who was chosen as the first architect to create the statue, the project was handed over to Gustave Eiffel, a leading architect. Gustave later became known as the creator of the Parisian Eiffel Tower. He immediately set to work with the design engineer Maurice Koehlen.
2. Until 1900, the statue was completely bronze in color
The color of today's Statue of Liberty is different from what it was originally when it was erected. In fact, the color was originally bronze, but eventually turned greenish-blue due to oxidation of the metal. The United States government chose not to upgrade the statue with a different metal in order to protect the sculpture from subsequent damage. The public protested against painting the statue on the outside, so it was updated and painted only on the inside.
1. The official name of the statue is "Freedom Illuminating the World"
Before the appearance of its current name, the Statue of Liberty was called "Freedom Illuminating the World." This is the very name originally intended to be given by its architect, Auguste Bartholdi. This name can be translated literally into French. The new name has been adapted for easier pronunciation.
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