Statue of Liberty in New York

It's no secret that the Statue of Liberty is the most popular landmark of the United States. The statue was opened in 1886, which was accompanied by cannon shots, a siren and fireworks. Since then, the legendary monument meets ships entering the port of New York and receives tourists from all over the world.

A bit of history

Not everyone knows that the Statue of Liberty in the United States is the work of masters from France. The sculpture was made in Paris, then dismantled and sent across the Atlantic to America, where it was reassembled and installed on a powerful base. The place of interest is the island of Liberty, located near the coast of New Jersey.

The idea of creating such a statue belongs to Eduard de Labulaye. It was not the famous sculptor Frederik-Opost Bartholdy who helped to make it happen in life at that time. The young man decided to design a huge lighthouse in the form of a woman with a torch in his hands. It is the torch on the idea that will lighten the way for the sailors. Interestingly, this lighthouse was to appear on the Suez Canal, but the idea was abandoned, and the young Bartholdi decided to join the idea of Eduard de Labulaye.

The prototype of the Statue of Liberty was the image of freedom from the famous picture of Delacroix. According to another version, Bartholdi had a model of Isabella, the wife of a famous American entrepreneur.

The creation of the statue was also worked by the famous engineer Gustav Eiffel (author of the Eiffel Tower in Paris). The engineer has developed a brilliant metal frame structure, which supported the central pillar. At first Bartholdi built a small figure and then made a few more, making a new one bigger than the previous one. This lasted until he reached the optimal option.

America and France agreed to create special funds for donations for the construction of the pedestal and the establishment of the Statue. So, the Statue of Liberty was completed in the summer of 1884, and after a little less than a year it was brought to America. The unpacking of the monument took four months. At the opening of the monument were attended by thousands of Americans and visitors to the city.

In 1984, the landmark was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Statue of Liberty in New York: features

To date, the Statue is rightfully considered a national symbol of the States. An elegant woman carrying a torch is the embodiment of America's freedom and possibilities. On her head she has a crown, seven teeth of which denote seven seas and continents. In the legs - torn bonds, indicating the liberation from tyranny, in the left hand - a plate with the date of the proclamation of America 's independence .

The Statue of Liberty is made of the finest sheets of copper, which, after forming in wooden forms, were mounted on a steel frame.

The height of the monument is 46 meters plus 47 meters of pedestal. So, it rises to 93 meters above the ground level. The statue weighs more than 200 tons.

Inside there is a spiral staircase leading tourists to the top. As a rule, the Statue of Liberty is open to guests arriving here by ferry. From the crown opens a chic view of the harbor and the city.

The Statue also has a museum in which tourists can get acquainted with the whole history of the country: from Indians to mass migration.

There are many different opinions about the monument, which contradict both to each other and to common sense. The thing is that before the construction of the statue the Americans did not see anything like this. So, while the connoisseurs noted the high technique of execution and the gracefulness of the lines, their opponents believed that the image of Liberty in the image of the monument was treated very coldly, and greatness is given exclusively to the huge dimensions of the structure.

Nevertheless, despite the popular rumor, the Statue of Liberty is considered the "eighth wonder of the world", which embodies the democratic principles that underlie American life.