Statue of Liberty National Monument,
New York

The face of Lady Liberty, NPS Photo

Standing at the entrance to New York harbor is a 151-foot statue of a woman holding a book and a torch on-high. "Liberty Enlightening the World"was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American independence.

Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi created the statue first in Paris, using the repoussé technique of hammering copper sheets over large wooden forms. These shaped copper sheets were attached to each other over a cast iron framework designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. It was disassembled and shipped to the United States in 214 crates in 1885. Some of the money to erect the statue was contributed by American school children. The sculptor intended his work to be an immense and impressive symbol of human liberty. It was certainly that for millions of immigrants who came to America in the 19th century seeking freedom and fulfillment of their dreams. It has continued to inspire people across the world, as in 1989 when the Chinese students at Tianammen Square made a model of the Statue of Liberty to symbolize their revolution. For more information (and images) about the Statue of Liberty, click here. (Inscribed in 1984)

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Statue of Liberty National Monument