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Statue of Liberty

✨ The flame of New York

The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Its official name, Liberty Enlightening the World, reflects the idea behind the monument: a gift of friendship from France to the United States and a symbol of freedom. The French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue, while Gustave Eiffel and his team developed the internal iron framework that supports its thin copper skin.

Built in France between 1875 and 1884, the statue was taken apart, shipped across the Atlantic in 1885 and reassembled in New York. It was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886. From the ground to the tip of the torch, it is about 93 metres tall. The copper surface was originally brown, but natural oxidation gradually created the green patina seen today. The statue is therefore not painted green.

Liberty holds a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet in her left. The tablet bears the Roman numerals for July 4, 1776, the date of the United States Declaration of Independence. At her feet are broken chains and a shackle, symbols associated with freedom and the abolition of slavery. Her crown has seven rays, often understood as representing the reach of liberty across the seven seas and continents.

The monument also became closely associated with immigration because millions of newcomers entered the United States through New York, near the statue and Ellis Island. Emma Lazarus's 1883 poem The New Colossus, later placed on a plaque inside the pedestal, helped strengthen this association. The Statue of Liberty became a U.S. National Monument in 1924 and was restored for its centennial in 1986. In 1984, it was also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that the statue wasn't always green? Originally, it was the color of a brand new copper coin, a bit like rose gold. With the wind, rain, and sea salt, the copper slowly changed color to become green. This color is called 'verdigris' and it now protects the statue against rust like armor!

The Statue of Liberty is immense: its nose alone is over a meter long! It was built in pieces in France, then transported by boat in 214 giant crates before being reassembled like an enormous puzzle in New York. Beneath its feet, broken chains can also be seen symbolizing the end of slavery and freedom.

The statue's internal skeleton was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the genius who built the famous tower in Paris! He envisioned a very flexible iron framework so the statue could sway slightly in the wind without ever breaking. The torch it holds was once accessible to the public, but today it is closed for safety reasons.