Eiffel Statue of Liberty. Facts about the Statue of Liberty

22.10.2020

The most famous symbol of America is the sculpture of "Liberty Enlightening the World." Many people know that it was a gift from France, but few know which country also participated in its creation, albeit indirectly.

Also from the article you can learn about some interesting facts related to the construction, installation and operation of the statue. And you will also know the names of those who put a lot of effort into creating the monument.

What was the gift dedicated to?

It is known who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But what was this gift dedicated to? In 1876, France decided to present a gift for the centenary of American independence. It took years to raise funds for this idea. The French and Americans took part in this. But by the time the statue was erected, several years had passed, and the anniversary of independence had already passed.

“Lady Liberty” holds in her hand a tablet on which the date of signing is written in Latin, namely “July, 4, 1776.” In 1883, Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New Colossus" was dedicated to the statue. The lines from it were engraved on a plate in 1903 and attached to the sculpture's pedestal.

History of creation

The story began with France's decision to entrust this work to the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Further, the countries agreed that the pedestal would be built by America, and the sculpture at the expense of the French. Who else was involved in creating the gift?

Here is a list of those who gave America the Statue of Liberty:

Frederic Bartholdi designed appearance and gave his wishes about where it would be better to place “Lady Liberty”;
and his assistant Maurice Koechlin created drawings for the massive steel support and support frame;
Richard Morris designed the pedestal for the sculpture;
US General William Sherman chose the location for the statue;
Ulysses Grant is the US President who supported the idea of creating a symbol of Freedom.

The construction of the sculpture was completed in 1884. It was delivered disassembled on the frigate Isere to New York Harbor a year later. This required more than two hundred boxes. The assembly took four months, and the official opening took place on October 28, 1886. Despite the fact that the gift was ten years late for the centennial anniversary, many honored guests gathered for its opening, including US President Grover Cleveland. If it were not for such a belated opening of the monument, the people of America would have heard a congratulatory speech from someone who still held this post on July 4, 1976.

Russian trace

In addition to the French and Americans, according to some sources, Russians are also involved in the sculpture. The copper sheets with which it was covered were purchased in Russia. They were manufactured at the Nizhny Tagil plant. However, many researchers have already been able to refute this fact. The fact is that at that time a railway had not yet been built to Nizhny Tagil. The researchers concluded that the copper came from Norway, although documentary evidence no to this.

Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? Regardless of whether there was a Russian or Norwegian trace in this, it was the French people who became the initiator and creator of the symbol of freedom.

Choosing a location for installation

Where is the Statue of Liberty today? As at the time of its installation, it is located on an island three kilometers southwest of Manhattan (its southern part), in New York. Before the statue appeared, it was called Bedloe's Island. After the French gift was placed on it, people began to call it Liberty Island. In 1956 it was officially renamed.

Use of the statue

Over the entire period of its existence, the well-known symbol of America was not just an architectural monument. Initially it was planned to be used as a lighthouse. Practice has shown that the lamps in the torch were weak and ineffective. From the unit that managed lighthouses, the figure was transferred to the War Department, and later to the service that dealt with national parks.

By 1924, the exhibit became a US National Monument and was later included in the UNESCO list.

How the Statue of Liberty was used in different years? She had the following incarnations:

lighthouse;
museum;
Observation deck.

During the entire existence of the figure, it was repaired many times, but the most extensive work was carried out in 1938 and 1984.

The reader already knows who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But few people know that the sculpture depicts ancient Greek (some historians agree on this). This goddess was the mistress of hell, and she used the torch in underground world. In addition, she was considered the patroness of witchcraft, insanity, madness, and obsession. Hecate was depicted with horns on her head, but they can be seen on the statue in the form of rays of light. Although it is believed that in fact Bartholdi embodied the image of the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.

The right hand holding a torch crossed Atlantic Ocean three times. It was first transported in 1884 to Philadelphia for the World's Fair, and then returned. The third time the hand swam across the ocean with all the other parts of the statue.

After the events of September 11, 2001, access to the island and to the symbol of America was closed. By 2012, access was completely open, right up to the crown. You can go up the stairs or by elevator. To reach the crown, you need to climb 356 steps. There are 25 windows on the observation deck that offer views of the harbor.

There are many smaller copies in the world. For example, in Paris, Tokyo, and also more than two hundred copies in America itself.

The number of rays on the crown is believed to symbolize the seven continents, according to Western geographical tradition.

By 1886, the torch was severely damaged by corrosion and was replaced with a new one, which was coated with 24-carat gold.

I work a lot with children and it’s always interesting for me to test the boundaries of their horizons when we start classes. Sooner or later I ask a question about America, something like: “What do you know about this country?” or "What is the most famous monument in America?" Almost every child tells me that the symbol of America is the Statue of Liberty.

On my list of attractions that I wanted to visit in New York, the Statue of Liberty was number 8. But while walking around the city, it appeared so often on the horizon here and there that I decided to go to it earlier. Having carefully thought through the route and chosen a day, I went to find out what it was and why Americans needed this monument so much.

Statue of Liberty in numbers

It is not at all surprising that the monument is visible from many parts of New York, although it is located on Liberty Island south of Manhattan. After all, the height of the Statue is 93 meters from the base of the pedestal to the tip of the torch. At the same time, Lady Liberty herself occupies only half of the monument - about 46 meters. The length of the right hand holding the torch is almost 13 meters, and the length of the foot is slightly more than 7.5.

Americans like to joke that Lady Liberty's shoe size would be 879 according to the American sizing system, 10 times larger than the average American woman. The height of the face from the chin to the crown is more than 5 meters. Madame weighs 204 tons.

How to get there

I was surprised to learn that technically the Statue of Liberty is not even located in New York itself, but in the waters of New Jersey. However, by a special decree of 1834, Liberty Island, on which the monument is located, was officially classified as a state. You can get to the Statue by ferry, which runs from both South Manhattan and Liberty State Park, Jersey City.

The ferry departs daily several times a day and also stops at neighboring Ellis Island, historically famous topic, that it was there that all the immigrants who wanted to live in New York arrived. By the way, it was during the time of the strongest migration to the USA, at the end of the 19th century, that the Statue of Liberty became world famous famous symbol America. She was the first thing those arriving in the city saw. A statue holding a torch and illuminating the way became a blessing and the personification of a new life for hundreds of people. better life and hope.

The ferry schedule can be checked with the official provider. The ferry in New York can be reached by subway (South Ferry station) or by bus (routes M6 and M15 to the South Ferry stop). You can get to the Statue from 9.00 to 17.00 (a little longer in summer) every day, except December 25, when the monument is generally closed to the public. Ticket prices range from $18 for basic adult access to $43 for VIP skip-the-line access. Children from 4 to 12 and pensioners from 62 discounts. A ticket must be purchased for a specific date and time no later than two days before the trip: without such a ticket, you will only be able to see the statue from the outside, and you will not be able to enter the museum or go up to the observation decks.

Be prepared for the fact that upon entering the ferry you and your belongings will be very carefully searched for security reasons: there are frames and metal detectors everywhere. By the way, you may not be allowed in if you have a large bag.

History of the Statue of Liberty

I've never thought about what exactly I know about the Statue of Liberty. And I literally knew 3 facts:

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France
The Statue of Liberty was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower.
The Statue of Liberty is green for some reason (I felt a mystical connection with the color of the dollar)

So, in order.

1) The statue was a gift to America from France

Let's start with the fact that this statue is called differently than we are used to. Its full title is “Liberty Enlightening” the World), which immediately refers us to higher intentions and motives than simply donating a lighthouse to a new state in honor of independence. Yes, it was indeed a gift from France in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, but behind its creation there are names that greatly surprised me.

The idea of sending something as a gift is attributed to the French politician Edouard de Laboulaye, head of the Anti-Slavery Association. In America it ended shortly before Civil War, which destroyed, at least formally, the institution of slavery, which de Laboulaye decided to celebrate with his gift. He equipped Frederic Bartholdi, the famous European sculptor, on the road, ordering him to visit as many as possible more places and think about what could become a significant gift. Bartholdi, arriving in New York, was amazed that every ship on its way to New York Harbor certainly sailed past the small island of Fort Wood - perfect place for a future gift. The idea also took shape: it was supposed to be a lighthouse, personifying freedom and lighting the way for a people full of hope, like the Greek Colossus of Rhodes. Only they decided to make the colossus a woman, creating a softer and less warlike image. The New York government approved the idea, and Bartholdi began work upon his return to Europe.

2) The statue was designed by Gustave Eiffel.

Not certainly in that way. The famous engineer created the frame for the statue, and Bartholdi worked on the outer copper shell. Isabella Boyer, the wife of the famous sewing equipment manufacturer Isaac Singer, posed for the sculptor. The work lasted more than 12 years. Interestingly, the finished hand of the statue holding a torch was sent to Philadelphia for the 1876 World's Fair, where it raised so much money that Bartholdi was able to finish the figure's head without any financial difficulties. Halfway through construction, it turned out that no engineering techniques would allow the statue to become a full-fledged lighthouse without changing its shape. Bartholdi, of course, was upset, but still chose a spectacular pose. At this time, funds were being raised in America to prepare the site and erect the pedestal. Initially, the money was invested with great difficulty, but then a fund-raising campaign was carried out by Mark Twain, a favorite writer among the public, and Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper magnate. The latter, by the way, made a brilliant knight move: he promised everyone who contributed even a dollar to the construction to print his name in their printed publications. People rushed to make small donations and buy newspapers to make sure his name was printed. Thus, Pulitzer collected more than half of the required funds and at the same time increased its circulation several dozen times. Moreover, he created such a stir around the still unfinished statue that by the time the monument arrived, America was literally buzzing with impatience. In 1884, the Statue was dismantled, packed and sent in parts to America. In 1886, under the leadership of President Cleveland, the grand opening of the monument took place.

3) The statue has a bright green color.

This is a fact, but it has nothing to do with my thoughts about the color of the American currency. This is the result of copper oxidation under constant salty humidity conditions. By the way, the fact that it is green is visible even at night.

Things to do at the Statue

Big things can be seen from a distance, as they say - it is best to contemplate the Statue from afar. However, as the ferry approaches the island, its size begins to amaze more and more, and I want to check whether the head will be visible when viewed from the ground :) You can walk around the Statue in a beautifully equipped public garden, sit on benches and admire Lady Liberty from different angles. But the most interesting thing is to climb inside. The elevator inside the statue can only accommodate a few people, so there are always huge queues, but there is also a staircase. True, there are no less people on the stairs. The first observation deck is located at the top of the pedestal, the second - in the crown of the Statue. And from there, of course, the view is breathtaking. Although I don’t know what is more breathtaking: the views themselves or the realization that you are standing in the crown of almost the most famous monument in the world. Once upon a time it was possible to climb a torch, but in this moment the staircase there is closed.

Inside the pedestal of the Statue there is a museum where they will tell you in detail about all the attributes of the monument, for example, that in her left hand she holds the Declaration of Independence, at her feet lie broken shackles as a symbol of defeated slavery, and open sandals and a toga were chosen as an outfit because dressed as the Roman goddess of freedom Libertas. You can also have a snack and buy souvenirs.

A few more facts

The statue became a stumbling block for American suffragists - activists promoting women's voting rights. They believed that it defies logic that a huge woman stands at the entrance to New York Harbor and represents freedom, while American women do not have freedom of speech.
Despite its enormous size, the Statue sways in the wind. This is pure physics: the higher the object, the greater the amplitude of vibrations in the wind at the top. The Statue's torch, for example, can swing up to half a meter. Such facts generally came as a shock to me when I arrived in. I thought that skyscrapers and other structures stood firmly on the ground, but it turned out that, for example, the Empire State Building, one of the most tall skyscrapers America, swings up to 4 meters!
The copper sheets with which the statue is upholstered sometimes rattle loudly in the wind. And on a quiet evening, sitting on the embankment somewhere in Brooklyn or Southern Manhattan, you can hear a rumble and a rather eerie sound from the direction of the monument.
In 1878, the brilliant inventor Thomas Edison proposed laying wires in the statue and installing equipment with which the statue could “speak.” Speeches and various political announcements could be broadcast. The proposal was not accepted, although personally I even like the idea :)
In Las Vegas there is a complete copy of the statue, only 2 times lower. And in Paris there is a statue four times smaller than the original, and it is turned to the west, exactly towards its older sister.

Significance of the Statue

I have come to the conclusion that Americans are a very practical people with a very practical mindset. They love structure and order. However, in addition to this, they are also dreamers and romantics; they simply prefer to have a concrete material embodiment or at least a symbol for abstract ideas and philosophical concepts. I used to think that the Statue of Liberty was just a lucky gift that fit perfectly into the city’s landscape, and the bonus was that it also carries a symbolic load. While in the States, I felt how much Americans really needed this statue: it, like nothing else, reflects their ideas about freedom and ideals, and in a very visual and understandable form. Any American child, when he hears the word “freedom,” will draw a parallel in his mind with the Statue, and when he hears the word “honesty,” he will draw a parallel in his mind with the Abraham Lincoln Monument in Washington. Americans are criticized for materialism, but I think that there is nothing wrong when abstract concepts are associated with something concrete.

On a note

If you go to the Statue of Liberty in spring or fall, when rain is likely, take an umbrella or raincoat. If there is a chance that you will find yourself under the scorching sun, wear glasses and a Panama hat. These are not trivial recommendations. The fact is that if you don’t have this, on the way to the ferry in Battery Park or when you get off the ferry on Liberty Island, you will be attacked by very intrusive sellers of souvenirs and weather gear. When I went ashore for the first time, I was literally knocked off my feet and deafened by shouts in monstrous English “Umbrla! Umbrla!”, with umbrellas shoved in my face. This slightly spoiled my mood, which was already barely breathing due to the rain.
VIP access without queues will literally save you 5 minutes of time, since those who want to bypass the general queue will form their own, VIP :)
It is best to buy keychains and other souvenirs with symbols not in the actual places you visit, but in China Town - an area in Manhattan. It is there that they are sold at a bargain price, markups begin literally three blocks away, and in purely tourist places these same figurines and keychains will cost several times more, although the product is the same, I’ve checked.

But look at another topic wandering around the Internet:

At first glance, everything is known about the Statue of Liberty. It was given to the United States by the French for the centenary of independence. The monument, created by Frederic Bartholdi and Gustav Eiffel, was inaugurated on Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River on October 28, 1886. "Lady Liberty", which meets ships arriving in New York, is very ponderous. It contains 204 tons, of which 90 are copper blocks with which the figure is lined.

It is these 90 tons that have been the subject of heated debate among historians for many years. different countries. It is clear that the supplier of such a huge batch of non-ferrous metal must have made very good money - the cost of copper at that time averaged $2,500 per ton. But the question of who got this money still remains open. No documents relating to the purchase of copper have been preserved, and in the memoirs of people involved in the creation of the Statue of Liberty, the topic of the origin of the metal is strangely hushed up.

A little historical background:

The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. A deadline was set - the monument had to be completed by 1876, coinciding with the centenary of the US Declaration of Independence. It is believed that this is a joint French-American project. The Americans worked on the pedestal, and the statue itself was created in France. In New York, all parts of the Statue of Liberty were assembled into a single whole.

After construction began, it became clear that much more funds were needed than originally planned. A large-scale fundraising campaign, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events were initiated on both sides of the ocean. When calculating the design parameters of the huge Bartholdi statue, the help of an experienced engineer was required. Alexander Gustav Eiffel, creator Eiffel Tower, personally developed the design of a strong iron support and frame that allows the copper shell of the statue to move freely, while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.

Americans were reluctant to part with funds, and therefore there were difficulties in collecting the required amount, so Joseph Pulitzer wrote a number of articles in the pages of his World newspaper, addressing representatives of the upper and middle classes and urging them to allocate money for a good cause. The criticism was extremely harsh, and it had an effect

By August 1885, the United States managed to collect the required amount; by that time, the French had already completed their part of the work and brought parts of the statue to New York. The Statue of Liberty was divided into 350 parts and transported on the frigate Isere in 214 boxes. In 4 months, all parts of the monument were assembled, and in front of a huge gathering of people, on October 26, 1886, the opening ceremony of the legendary monument took place. It so happened that the 100th anniversary gift was 10 years late. It is worth noting that the hand with the torch was assembled even earlier and was even exhibited at an exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876

Let's return now to the material:

They tried to solve the mystery by comparing the lining material with samples taken from the world's largest mines. The experiment brought even more confusion, versions grew like mushrooms after rain. Copper samples with similar compositions of impurities were discovered in the English mines in Swansea, in the German Mansfield and in the Spanish mining region of Huelva. Norwegian scientists have little doubt that Bartholdi purchased 90 tons of copper from the Visnes mine, which was developed in the 1870s on the island of Karmøy in the North Sea. Moreover, the company that owned this mine was managed by a Frenchman, and its headquarters were located in Paris. The Norwegians were so keen to consider themselves “suppliers of building material for American Liberty” that they ordered a spectrographic analysis from Bell Laboratories. His results showed that copper from North Sea very similar to the one with which the statue is faced, but not identical. And this gives a chance to develop another theory about the origin of the metal - this time Russian.

Nizhny Tagil, Copper mine. Fox Mountain

From the Urals to Paris

Bashkir scientist, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences Miniakhmet Mutalov and employees of the Vysokogorsk mining and processing plant have no doubt that the copper for Lady Liberty was purchased from the industrialists Demidovs, who owned the Nizhny Tagil mines. True, they are guided by their experience in mining, and not by the results of research from American laboratories. However, one cannot but agree with them that in the 1870s Russian copper was indeed very popular in the West, where it was called “Old Sable”. The Demidov mines could undoubtedly provide the required volume of production. In 1814, a huge copper quarry was opened on Mount Vyiskaya near Nizhny Tagil, and by 1850 copper production there reached 10,000 tons per year. By comparison, the Norwegian mine - the number one candidate - was then producing only 3,000 tons.

Nizhny Tagil copper was sold mainly in markets Western Europe, despite the fact that the mine was very far from the consumer. In 1851, at the first World Exhibition in London, she received three bronze medals, and in 1867, the Demidovs took first place at the Paris Exhibition.

In France, they had heard about the successes of Russian miners before. French specialists often came to the Urals to study. In the Nizhny Tagil archives from the 19th century, hundreds of contracts with foreigners who were hired by the Demidovs were preserved. They employed 42 foreigners - English, Swiss, German, Belgian, Italian and 14 French. The personal consultant of the industrialists was a mining engineer from France, Leple, and his compatriot by the name of Bokar worked as an administrator of the Nizhny Tagil plant. Such close cooperation greatly contributed to the establishment of metal supply channels to Western buyers.

Secret signs

Conspiracy sources also support the version of the Russian origin of the Statue of Liberty. It is known that Bartholdi and Eiffel were members of the French Masonic lodge, and it was the “freemasons” who helped them raise 3.5 million francs to make the statue. The construction of the pedestal was financed by the Masonic Lodge of New York. Media tycoon Joseph Pulitzer donated about $100,000 to it with the condition that a note with his name and the words “Russian emigrant and Jew” be placed at the base of the monument. Moreover, according to official data, he was born in Hungary and it was from there that he moved to the United States.

It is known that the French and American Freemasons maintained fairly close relations, including those of a business nature, with the Russian “free masons.” And the Demidovs occupied a very high position in the Masonic hierarchy of Russia. After the Decembrist uprising, the emperor banned Masonic lodges, and they had to go underground. “Free masons” from the capital’s aristocracy and bourgeoisie hastily got rid of images of compasses, trowels and pyramids on clothes, carriages and house facades. The Demidovs were the only ones who continued to openly demonstrate Masonic symbols - a silver hammer and a tool similar to a trowel were depicted on their family coat of arms.

Pavel Pavlovich Demidov, who in the 1870s headed a complex of Nizhny Tagil enterprises, spent his youth in Paris. In the mid-1860s, after graduating from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, he continued his education under the guidance of the famous scientist, publicist, politician and... freemason Edward Rene de Laboulaye. At the same time, the young, promising sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was sculpting a bust of his idolized Laboulaye.

In one of summer days In 1865, the flower of French Freemasonry gathered in Laboulay’s house: Oscar and Edmund Lafayette, the grandchildren of the Marquis Lafayette - the Masonic brother of George Washington, the historian Henry Martin and, of course, Bartholdi. Edouard Rene shared an idea with his friends: what a beautiful gesture on the part of the French Republicans it would be to give the Americans, as a sign of their friendship, a memorial symbolizing freedom! Contemporaries called Laboulaye “the main admirer of America in France,” among other things, the gift was supposed to highlight the contrast between American democracy and the repressive political methods of the Second Empire. For 31-year-old Bartholdi, who, without hesitation, took up his older comrade’s idea, this was a chance to demonstrate his talent to the whole world.

It was not built right away

The implementation of the idea had to wait until the end of the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871, Laboulaye invited Bartholdi to go to America and do everything necessary to ensure that the monument was opened on July 4, 1876, the centenary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Without money and a sketch of the monument, but with a heap of letters of recommendation to his American brothers, the sculptor sailed to America. The idea for the statue arose in his head when he was already sailing towards New York - Frederick quickly made a sketch.

Three years later, Bartholdi returned to France, where he established the Franco-American Union to raise funds for the construction of the monument to “Liberty Enlightening the World.” Soon he began work on its creation together with the Parisian company Gaget, Gauthier & Cie.

The sculptor copied the face of “Freedom” from his mother. First, he made a four-foot clay model, then a nine-foot one from plaster, then he began to proportionally enlarge each of its parts nine times... But the deadlines were delayed due to a constant lack of funds.

Although more than 100,000 French people donated to the monument, the Freemasons managed to raise the necessary money only by 1880. The Americans probably gave them the missing amount. It was not without reason that Bartholdi invited United States Treasury Secretary Levi P. Morton to install the first piece of copper cladding on the big toe of the statue’s left foot. On July 4, 1884, two months after completion of the work, the monument was officially presented as a gift to the US Ambassador to Paris Levi Morton. For another two years, Lady Liberty stood in Paris, waiting for a pedestal to be completed for her in Hudson Bay.

On August 5, 1884, under heavy rain, which forced the cancellation of the Masonic parade (there would not have been enough space for it on the tiny island anyway), a ceremony was held to lay the first stone on the pedestal of the statue. Then under it was that famous “box with a secret”, in which, in addition to the names of Masonic presidents and Pulitzer’s strange statement about his Russian roots, they say the names of all the people who took part in the creation of “Lady Liberty” were indicated, but for some reason reasons not admitted to it.

In June 1885, the statue, disassembled into pieces and packed into 214 containers, arrived in New York. It took another 15 months to collect it, and finally, on October 28, 1886, the gift from France appeared before the Americans in all its glory. The opening ceremony of the monument was presided over by the President of the United States, Freemason Grover Cleveland. The monument was consecrated by the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of New York, Henry Potter, also a member of the Freemasons lodge. The Grand Master, Senator Chauncey M. Depew, delivered the solemn speech.

And only Russian Masons could not openly announce their participation in the construction of the monument - most likely, they would not have been praised for this in their homeland. Perhaps this is why all documents indicating the sale of 90 tons of Russian copper to France were carefully destroyed.

Marriage of convenience

In general, the policy of the Russian tsars regarding lodges was not consistent. Thus, while persecuting the “free masons” in his country, Alexander III nevertheless actively collaborated with the French Freemasons. The desire not to get involved in international adventures and wars pushed him towards a rapprochement with Paris, where at that time the ball of the lodge ruled. The sovereign had no choice - Great Britain encroached on Russian territories, Prussia was too aggressive. Alexander had to accept the foreign policy line of rapprochement with France, which was proposed to him by Foreign Minister Giers.

Alexander only benefited from cooperation with Masonic France - huge investments flowed into the country. In 1888, the emissary of the French banks, Gosquier, arrived in St. Petersburg for negotiations with the Minister of Finance Ivan Vyshnegradsky, who subsequently began to manage the capital of all members of the royal family. In November 1888, a decree was issued on the issue of a Russian four-percent gold loan.

Initially, its amount was only 500 million francs. But already in February of the following year, Alexander ordered the issuance of a consolidated loan of the first series in the amount of 175 million rubles for the conversion of five percent bonds of numerous railway loans of the 1870s. The French actively subscribed to it, seeing in Russia a guarantor of protection against the Prussian threat, and thereby stimulated St. Petersburg to expand business contacts.

The deal took place, and already in April the so-called loan of consolidated Russian bonds of the second series appeared in the amount of 310.5 million rubles. It was released jointly with the Rothschild bank and was also a huge success. After this, the French began a virtual “economic occupation” of Russia. They invested in construction railways and factories, cut down mines and erected oil derricks. This continued almost until the outbreak of the First World War.

Perhaps if Russia and France had become friends a little earlier, the sale of copper for Bartholdi’s ambitious project would not have had to be hidden. But now the historical truth is no longer so important; anyway, the statue remained in history not as a Masonic symbol, but as a talisman of emigrants coming to New World in search of a new life.

But look at another example from history, like one person, and here with. Yes, and if you also remember something about large transactions, for example The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Was a joint work of France and the United States, built to commemorate the long friendship between the peoples of these two countries. French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi created the statue itself from sheets of hammered copper, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man who would go on to create the famous Eiffel Tower, designed the steel structure of the statue.

It was transferred by the French to the United States and installed on an American-designed pedestal on small island in Upper New York Bay, now known as Liberty Island, and was presented by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. Over the years, the statue has watched as millions of immigrants arrived in America through nearby Ellis Island. In 1986, the statue was extensively reconstructed in honor of the centenary of its discovery. Today, the Statue of Liberty remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.

Origin of the Statue of Liberty

Around 1865, as the American Civil War neared its end, French historian Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that France create a statue to give to the United States to celebrate that national success in creating a viable democracy. Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, known for his large-scale sculptures, was given the assignment; the goal was to create the sculpture in time for the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. The project would be a joint one between the two countries - the French would be responsible for the statue, while the Americans would build the pedestal on which it would stand - and symbolize the friendship between their peoples.

Due to the need to raise funds for the statue, work on the sculpture did not begin until 1875. Bartholdi's large creation was entitled "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" and depicted a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a plaque in her left, engraved with "July 4, 1776," the date of the Declaration of Independence. Bartholdi was said to have modeled the woman's face after his mother, hammering together large sheets of copper to create the statue's "skin" (using a technique called repousse).

To create a skeleton that would contain the skin, he turned to Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Together with Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Eiffel built the skeleton from an iron support and steel, which allowed the copper skin to move freely, a necessary condition for strong winds in the New York Harbor area.

Statue of Liberty: Assembly and Dedication

While work on the statue continued in France, fundraising efforts for the pedestal continued in the United States, including competitions, performances, and exhibitions. Towards the end, the owner and editor-in-chief of the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, raised the last necessary funds through his campaign. Designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the statue's pedestal was built in the courtyard of Fort Wood, a fortress built for the War of 1812, located on Bedloe Island at the southern tip of Manhattan in Upper New York Bay.

In 1885, Bartholdi completed the statue, which was disassembled, packed in over 200 crates, and shipped to New York aboard the French frigate Isère. Over the next four months, workers assembled the statue and placed it on the pedestal; its height reached 93 meters along with the pedestal. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially unveiled the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

In 1892, the US government opened a federal immigration station at Ellis Island, located near Bedloe Island in Upper New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1954, approximately 12 million immigrants arrived at Ellis Island before being allowed to enter the United States. From 1900 to 1914, during the peak years of its operation, approximately 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through each day.

Rising above New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty majestically greeted everyone passing through Ellis Island. Engraved on a plaque at the entrance to the statue's pedestal is a sonnet entitled "The New Colossus", written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus as part of a fundraising competition. Its most famous passage speaks to the statue's role as a welcoming symbol of freedom and democracy to the millions of immigrants who came to America in search of a new, better life:

Give me all those tired ones
who is oppressed by the cruelty of your harsh disposition, -
outcasts passionately thirsting for freedom.

Become a beacon of greatness and glory,
my torch is at the Golden Gate."

Statue of Liberty through the years

Until 1901, the American Lighthouse Board operated the Statue of Liberty, as the statue's torch represented a navigational aid for sailors. Thereafter, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the United States War Department due to Fort Wood's status as still an Army operational post. In 1924, the federal government made the statue a national monument and it was placed in the care of the Service national parks in 1933. In 1956, Bedloe Island was renamed Liberty Island, and in 1965, more than a decade after the closure of the Federal Migration Station, Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

By the early 20th century, oxidation of the Statue of Liberty's copper skin from exposure to rain, wind and sun gave the statue a distinctive green color known as verdigris. In 1984, the statue was closed to the public and underwent a major restoration in time for its centennial celebration. Just as restoration began, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as World Heritage. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Liberty Island closed for 100 days; the Statue of Liberty itself was closed to visitors until August 2004. In July 2009, the statue's crown reopened to the public, although visitors must pre-register to climb to the top of the pedestal or crown, as The Statue of Liberty can only accommodate 240 people per day.

Left: The hand and torch of the Statue of Liberty are being created in a studio in Paris, 1876. Right: The head of the Statue of Liberty is being created in a Paris studio, 1880.

The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States by the French government in honor of the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The gigantic figure was called “Liberty Illuminating the World” and was created over 10 years in the art studio of sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, designed the internal steel frame for it. It was planned to present this gift on July 4, 1876, but due to a lack of funds, which were to be replenished through voluntary donations, the celebration had to be postponed.

Practical Americans did not understand for what kind of romantic utopias they should part with their labor income.

Bartholdi was forced to send to the states a fragment of a statue 15 meters high - the right hand and a torch, which he installed in Philadelphia at the centenary exhibition. They charged 50 cents to climb into the torch itself. (decent money at that time). The hand with the torch was then transported to New York and installed in Madison Square Garden. And yet there was clearly not enough money.

And then a young journalist, editor and publisher of the World newspaper, Joseph Pulitzer, got down to business. At 18, he arrived in New York penniless from Hungary and began his working career as a newspaper delivery boy. Then he began to write police chronicles, small notes and quite quickly became the owner of the dying newspaper “New York World”. He instantly restructured its work, addressing thousands of new emigrants like him. like himself, perfectly understanding their needs and aspirations. So Pulitzer abruptly joined the money-raising campaign.

“This statue is not a gift from the millionaires of France to the millionaires of America,” he wrote angrily, “it is a gift from the French to all Americans. Take this as a call addressed to you personally!”

Within 5 months the required amount was collected. This action brought fame to Pulitzer and allowed the newspaper's circulation to triple. And these days, the Pulitzer Prize is the most prestigious award for journalists.

Finally, on October 28, 1886, US President Grover Cleveland, amid great fanfare, accepted the Statue of Liberty on Bedlow Island, renamed Liberty Island in 1956 in honor of the famous statue.

Initially, an agreement was reached between the governments of the two countries, according to which the French side was responsible for the construction and transportation of the statue, while America prepared a place for it and erected an appropriate pedestal. Both the French and Americans agreed that a small island at the entrance to New York Harbor would be best suited for their purposes. Here, at one time, the foundation for Fort Wood in the shape of a ten-pointed star was already laid. It could well have served as the foundation for a grandiose pedestal, the first stone of which was laid in 1884.

Bartholdi planned to cover the statue itself, 47 m high, with copper sheets no more than 2.4 mm thick. Thin copper had to be minted using a special wooden mold. As a result, Bartholdi and his assistants produced 350 individual skin parts, which were sent by ship to the USA in July 1884. On Bedloe Island they were put together like a huge construction set and placed on a steel frame made by Eiffel.

The frame consists of four monumental steel supports that span the entire height of the statue. These supports are attached to the pedestal with huge steel bolts. The lace of the steel frame, which Bartholdi covered with hundreds of parts from his designer, is distributed on the main supports. To give the statue sufficient strength and flexibility, each element of the copper plating was equipped with its own independent beam. Bartholdi had hoped in advance that the sheathing material would make it easier for him to assemble the statue, because thin sheet copper bends and cuts easily. This made it possible to make the final adjustment of parts directly on the statue during the assembly process. One way or another, the Statue of Liberty is without a doubt an example of the skill of a talented French engineer.

In the ensemble with a plinth, made in the classical style by the architect Richard M. Hunt, the height of the statue from the base to the top of the golden flames is 95 m. The seven rays on its crown symbolize the seven seas. For many travelers who crossed the Atlantic to America, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of freedom, independence and prosperity.

On the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 1986, the Statue of Liberty received a facelift. Salty sea air so corroded its structure that serious restoration was required. Voluntary contributions from citizens across America more than covered the $2 million cost of this work. This statue means a lot to the citizens of America - and not only to them.

An Invitation to Hope

In a figurative sense, the Statue of Liberty was the first sign of a new world for the many millions of immigrants who have come to America over the past two centuries.

The famous words on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty belong to New York poet Emma Lazarus, who were written after the war that swept across Russia in the 1880s. waves of pogroms that forced many Jews to cross the Atlantic.

Since then, her lines have acquired a universal resonance, serving as a beacon of hope for all the disadvantaged and persecuted: And give me from the bottomless depths of your outcasts, your downtrodden people, Send me the outcasts, the homeless, I will give them a golden candle at the door!

For tourists

Get to Liberty Island (Liberty Island) via ferry from Battery Park Pier (Battery park). Entering the park, you will see a long, organized queue, like once at the Mausoleum; these are those who want to visit the island with the statue, which you may want to join.

Visits to Corona are allowed again, but places are limited so you need to book tickets in advance. Those who have not done this will have to walk along the area around the statue and climb observation deck 16th floor; a special glass ceiling allows you to see the impressive “insides” of the statue. A visit to the island by ferry is usually combined with a visit to neighboring Ellis Island (Ellis Island). Ferries (Tel: 201-604-2800, 877-523-9849; www.statuecruises.com; adult/child $13/5; every 30 min. 9:00-17:00, longer in summer) depart from Battery Park (Battery Park). The nearest metro stations are South Ferry and Bowling Green. Book your ferry tickets in advance (visit to crown - additional $3), you will visit both attractions.

An excursion to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is best done in the warm season and during daylight hours.

Of course, in winter there are much fewer people interested, so. If you are not afraid of the icy piercing wind that gets to your skin through the warmest down coats and gloves, then it’s worth a try. Traveling on a boat is wonderful, but being on an open area in cold weather is a very extreme feeling. On Ellis Island there is an old immigration center where all new arrivals to the country were received and registered, now there is a museum there.

Data

Title: Officially translated from French, its name is “Freedom that illuminates the world.” She is also known as the Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty or Miss Liberty.
Design: The author of the statue is the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. Posting Eiffel was responsible for the engineering work, and he also created its steel internal frame. The total weight of the statue is 254 tons.
Dimensions: The statue itself is 46.5 m high and stands on a 47-meter pedestal, to the top of which there is a staircase of 194 steps, and to the crown of the statue you need to walk 354 steps.
UNESCO World Heritage List: The Statue of Liberty was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984.

Ellis Island

Served from 1892 to 1954 as a transit point for more than 12 million immigrants hoping to start new life in America, Ellis Island is modest and sometimes even squalid, but on the other hand, it symbolizes the fulfillment of desires. More than three thousand people died here in the island hospital; many were denied entry. The Ellis Island Immigration Station is the second stop on ferries heading to the Statue of Liberty. The beautiful main building became the Immigration Museum (Immigration museum; Tel: 212-363-3200; www.ellisisland.org; New York Harbor (New York Harbor); audio guide $8; 9.30-17.00), where interesting exhibitions and film screenings are held about the life of immigrants and how the influx of population changed the United States.