Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty |
|
---|---|
![]() Click on image to enlarge |
The Statue of Liberty was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. The Statue of Liberty did not arise in New York Harbor's, Bedloe Island without overcoming considerable apathy and resistance to the then considerable $100,000 cost it took to build the base for a statue no one seemed to want. It took Joseph Pulitzer and his newspaper, The World, to motivate people to contribute sufficient funds to complete America's part of the project. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. In the building of the statue, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. On a rainy October 28, 1886, the 305 foot Statue was unveiled to over 1 million people who were enthralled by the site. As the construction took shape, many of the early non-supporters were converted by the majesty of the Statue of Liberty and lined up for the ceremonies. Medium : 1 print Created/Published : August 21, c1885 Housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 weeks. Product #: bedloeisland |
Go Back |