Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty, also called "Liberty Enlightening the World," has stood on Liberty Island in New York City's harbor since 1886. A gift from France to the United States, it represents the ideals of freedom and democracy on which the United States was founded. The statue is both a national monument and a world heritage site.
Conception
In 1865, Edouard de Laboulaye---a French lawyer, politician and historian---conceived the idea of the statue to celebrate both America's success as a democracy and the friendship between America and France. French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue. On a visit to New York in 1874, he chose Bedloe's Island---renamed Liberty Island in 1956---as the best location for his massive creation.
Division of Work
The French bore the responsibility of building the statue, while the Americans would build the pedestal. In France, proponents of the project raised funds by various means, such as theatrical performances, boxing matches and auctions. In the United States, Joseph Pulitzer, through editorials in his newspaper "The World," galvanized the public to contribute money. French architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed the statue's framework and support pylon, and American architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the pedestal.
Construction
Although initially slated for completion by 1876---the year of America's centennial celebration---construction on the statue did not begin until 1875. The following year, the left arm and torch were finished and sent to New York, where they went on public display in Madison Square. They were later dismantled and returned to Paris. Finished in France in July of 1884, the statue was disassembled and shipped to New York, arriving in June of 1885. The pedestal was completed in April of 1886. Dedication of the completed Statue of Liberty took place on October 28 of that year.
Symbolism
Bartholdi incorporated elements from classical Greco-Roman art into the Statue of Liberty, such as its flowing gown. Masonic motifs appear as well; the torch, for instance, symbolizes truth and enlightenment. The book---inscribed with the date of America's independence in Roman numerals---held in the crook of the statue's left arm symbolizes both law and the Declaration of Independence. Bartholdi claimed the torch and book represented how "...liberty lives only through truth and justice, light and law." At the statue's feet lie broken shackles, emblematic of freedom from the bonds of tyranny. Finally, the seven-rayed crown represents the seven continents of the world.
Oversight and Restoration
The United States Lighthouse Board had oversight of the Statue of Liberty until 1901, after which the War Department assumed this responsibility. In 1924, the United States government designated the statue a national monument. Later, in 1933, it came under the aegis of the National Park Service. Deterioration of the statue prompted an $87 million restoration program, with President Ronald Reagan entrusting Lee Iacocca with oversight of the effort. Restoration, which began in 1984, was completed in 1986, and the statue reopened to the public on July 5 of that year.
