from Visitors to this Site
Q. History Channel ran a blurb indicating France offered our SOL to Egypt first but they turned it down because of the expense of getting it erected? Then offered to USA! What gives? A. Bartholdi, the sculptor, had proposed a statue for the Suez canal in about 1865, but the Egyptian ruler did not warm up to the idea, probably because the finances in the country at that time were not abundant. 10 years later, Laboulaye invited Bartholdi into an elite French group that wanted to give a gift to the US in honor of their struggles and success at liberty and freedom. Bartholdi obviously dusted off the old proposal, and fashioned a Statue of Liberty very similar to the Suez model, although he insisted until his death that the two had no connection. It is not accurate to represent that the French were turned down at Suez and came up with America as a rebound. The admiration for America (and Liberty) in Laboulaye's group was profound and original. Knight B., December 26, 2001 Q. A debate has recently come up between myself and a colleague about the Statue's location. The name of the island isn't in dispute; the body of water, however, is. One of us insists that Liberty Island is technically on the Atlantic Ocean. The other person argues that Liberty is completely on the Hudson -- information gathered from reading and a personal visit to New York. Who is correct? Jennifer K., July 13, 2001 A. Liberty Island is usually located as New York Harbor or as you've noted Upper New York Bay. Officially, the Hudson and the East River empty into Upper New York Bay (The location of Liberty Island), which empties into Lower New York Bay at the Varazzano Narrows (The narrow section of Bay at the South End of New York harbor, crossed by the Varazzano Narrows bridge) which empties into the Atlantic. Both the Hudson River and the East River terminate at the Southern tip of Manhattan where it officially becomes Upper New York Bay, or more popularly, New York Harbor. The statue is about 2 miles South of tip of Manhattan. Location maps availbale at Mapquest
There is also a good reference map at: http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/images/map4.jpg Courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers
1944 Map of New York Harbor
Q. We were curious if you knew what color the Statue was when she was first assembled in New York. Had she already assumed her green patina or was she still golden colored? And if she was still golden, how long before the copper turned green? The only clue we could find was your web site's inclusion of Julian Hawthorne's tribute: "Though the bronze goddess stands motionless and firm, she seems but a moment ago to have assumed the attitude which she will retain through centuries to come. " We thought the bronze meant she was still golden, but were not sure. Andrea W., July 6, 2001 A. As it was assembled, the statue was a dark brown, almost black color. The copper color had weathered to dark as it was built in Paris. It took about 20 years for the black color to turn to the color of copper patina, the greem color you see today.
Q. I just spent some time poking around your site about the Statue of Liberty. It is very well-done. Thank you for putting it together for all to enjoy. I have a question which I have not seen posed before. A lot of research has been done and documented about the Statue, how it was transported and assembled, how it was lit and restored. However, I have not been able to find anything about how it was (and is) heated. (I understand it is air conditioned now.) My great-grandfather, John S. Coleman, was a boiler maker with Brooks Locomotive Works, which later became Alco (American Locomotive Co., I believe.) My family has told me that my great-grandfather made the boilers that originally heated the Statue of Liberty. The boilers were made in Dunkirk, NY. The reason these are of particular interest to me is that these boilers were reputedly named "Mary" and "Margaret", after John Coleman's oldest daughters. I would like to find documentation of this. Could you point me in the right direction? Ann O., November 13, 2000 A. What a great story. I, too, would like to know more about this. There has been a little talk about the air conditioning systems installed in the statue during the 1980's work. The museum and spaces in the base of the statue are comfortably air conditioned. There is a duct that runs up the statue to distribute air, but because of the loads, it can only temper the inside. It is still cold and hot depending on the weather - but it does provide enough ventilation to prevent condensation on the inside which led to much of the corrosion prior to the renovation. Originally, there was heating in the base of the statue, surely some kind of steam heat provided by a boiler - so it is certainly possible that there were a "Mary" and "Margaret". There is a glancing mention of the air conditioning in the following article, but no details. http://www.detroitnews.com/1997/nation/9710/05/10050046.htm
Q. I have recently visited your Statue Of Liberty site. I found the site most informative, but for the one question I had, I could find no answer. Was a Statue Of Liberty built before the one now standing on Liberty Island, that sank upon its trip to the U.S.? The story I heard was that there was indeed another one and that it was approximately three times larger than the one now residing in New York. The story goes that it sank due to its' immense size and the difficulty transporting it, and therefore a smaller one was constructed and shipped in pieces. Does this story hold any truth, or is it balderdash? Ross E., July 06, 2000 A. I have not heard that one before. It's total rubbish. The statue's chronology is very well documented. The torch was shipped across the Atlantic for an early exhibition and then shipped back for assembly but that's the only "extra" shipping that any Liberty Island statue ever had.
Q. Is there any truth to the rumor that the first models of the "Lady" were modeled after a person of African Heritage? If so please let me know where I can get some information on this fact.? Joseph L., 10 Feb 2000 A. The following AP story was posted this week. Associated Press 6 February 2000
There was no model of African heritage for the Statue of Liberty. Bartholdi, the sculptor, modeled the statue after his mother, according to most authoritative sources. One rumor offers that she tired quickly during the modeling, so Bartholdi used his mistress, a younger, more durable subject for the final modeling. He eventually married this second model, Jeanne-Emilie Baheux de Puysieux, whom he met in Newport, Rhode Island in 1871 during his first visit to the United States. The link to African-American freedom in the US, though, is a real one. Both Laboulaye and Bartholdi were fascinated by the Black struggle for emancipation and the statue speaks deliberately to the courage the US showed by overcoming slavery. The chains that the Statue stands on represent the breaking away from slavery. The representation they chose happened to be a middle aged Caucasian French women.Complete Discussion of "Black Statue of Liberty" from Urban Legends Reference Page Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2000 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson Further Discussion from About.com
Q. Can you tell me which part of the Statue of Liberty crossed the Atlantic three times. Carol K., 25 Jan 2000 A. The torch and right arm were shipped to the US to promote fund raising a few years before the rest of the statue. They were shipped back to assemble the whole before it was officially delivered complete in early 1885. Three Crossings - two Westward, one Eastward.Liberty's torch on display at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. A fee was charged to walk up the 32 foot installation in order to raise funds for the base of the Monument.
Q. Why is she holding the torch? Sara K. and Andrea Z., 4 Jan 2000 A. The name of the Statue is Liberty Enlightening the World. She is illuminating the struggle for Freedom.
Q. Sometimes, when the traffic is bad on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, I find my eyes drifting toward the harbor, and the Statue of Liberty seems to be staring right back at me. Was the statue actually designed to "look" at Brooklyn? Posted in the New York Times Archive June 20, 1999 A. Almost every aspect of the Statue of Liberty is laden with the symbolism of liberation and enlightenment, and the direction of Liberty's gaze was not left to chance. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was not yet built when the statue was planned. Struck by its central position in the Upper New York Bay, the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi chose Bedloe's Island, as Liberty Island was then called, as the site for the statue. The completed statue, which was unveiled in 1886, is actually called "Liberty Enlightening the World," and therein lies the key to her gaze. "To Auguste Bartholdi and Edouard Leboulaye, the statue's French creators, America, with its democratic ideals and Republican government, was already enlightened," said Barry Moreno, a librarian at the Statue of Liberty National Monument. "Europe, still full of czars and emperors, was not." Liberty therefore looks east, across the Atlantic, to the Old World, Mr. Moreno said. That's symbolically, of course. In reality, since the combined height of the statue and its pedestal is only a little over 300 feet, she seems to "look" at Governors Island and northwest Brooklyn.
Q. ... it is still not clear to me what the Statue of Liberty exactly has to do with France. Was it only a sign of shared experiences and respect or was it because of the American Civil War. Would you give a short explanation???? C. de Vrede , October 30, 2000 A. The concept for a gift from the people of France was driven by Edouard Laboulaye. From Harper's Weekly, Decmebr 1866: "As proof of the friendship and the community of emotions of the people of the two countries, Laboulaye pointed out that the people of the United States honored the remembrances of common glories, and loved Lafayette and his volunteers as they revered American heroes." There is more posted about Laboulaye at: http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/nytc/solnytc1943.htm The French greatly admired the US for its successful struggle for freeedom, including the political ordeal undertaken over the slavery issue. Laboulaye and his sympathizers managed this outpouring into the Statue which honored both France and the US for their dramatic revolutions on behalf of freedom.
Q. How far do you have to travel on boat to get to the Statue? Sara K. and Andrea Z., 4 Jan 2000 A. About two miles from Battery Park to Liberty Island.
Q. Which American company had the contract for replacing the windows in the great lady's crown? Jenny T. A. The manufacturer selected for the window replacement was TRACO - Originally "Three Rivers Aluminum Company" TRACO Website
Q. I am sure that Statue of Liberty is a symbol of New York. However, recently, I heard that the site on which the Statue of Liberty stands might have been on the borderline between New York and New Jersey, or might even belong to New Jersey. Is that true ? Makio M. A. The ownership of Liberty Island has never been questioned as New York Territory. It was owned privately in the 18th century and known as Bedloe's Island, eventually acquired by the State of New York, governed under the jurisdiction of New York City. The report you heard about was a dispute over Ellis Island where the immigration center is located, Northwest of Liberty Island in New York harbor. In May 1998, New York and New Jersey went to Federal Court to resolve the ownership of Ellis Island. The New York Times of 31 May, 1998 has a complete story.
Q. France donated the Statue of Liberty to the USA. Would you happen to know of another statue France donated and to what country? Carly A. There are probably other answers to your question, but at this address is a story about a temporary loan of another Statue of Liberty donated by Paris to Japan in 1998: http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/solcnn398.html
Q. I am doing a research term paper, and I have a need to use some statistics on the Statue of Liberty, specifically....How much fabric (in yards) would it take to clothe the Statue of Liberty, in her existing gown? Tyfanie A. The Statue is about 35 feet in diameter at the waist, 111 feet tall, with a 17' long head, about 90 feet to the shoulders. Very roughly, then 1200 square yards of surface area, but the way she's wrapped, two layers, and to allow for some trim, her garment consists of about 4000 square yards of cloth.
Q. Can you tell me why the statue is clothed in a classical style of a Roman deity? And, which deity? Joan
A. The dress is described as "a canonical tunic overlaid by a peplum". Very Roman.
Bartholdi was intent on expressing the timelessness and classic nature of Liberty. The clothing carries that theme back to the earliest images of Greek and Roman statues, many of which were similarly representative of concepts rather than literal figures. There is no specific deity referenced by the statue. There were several contemporary Liberty representations with similar attire - Delacroix's Liberty guiding the People, 1830 and Fede's Liberty in Florence Italy, 1872, among others.
A good book about the statue's history and image is Marvin Trachtenberg's Statue of Liberty.
Left: 1830 Liberty Guiding the People by Delacroix
Right: 1872 Liberty Monument to Gionanni Battista Niccolini by Pio Fredi
Q. I work with a film production company, and I recently was assigned the task of gathering some rather specific information. The final scene in the movie we're trying to put together (a love story) has the main characters climbing the stairs of the Statue, up to the crown. When they reach the top we'd like for them to be able to feel the wind, see clearly, etc., and for the man to throw a piece of paper into the air. So the question is, is everything at the top of the crown, windows and all, completely closed all the time, and sealed? Or can they be opened, or is there any opening to the outside?
Steve Colberg
A. The statue is certainly a dramatic setting. Those windows in the crown do open, and the Park Service leaves a few of them open during good weather. You can stick your hand out, but couldn't jump out.
Q. I have an old statue of liberty souvenier. Could you please let me know where I might find information about my souvenir?
Dawn
A. The best suggestion I could make is to visit the online auction at www.ebay.com, type in Statue of Liberty at the search prompt and see if there is anything similar.
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Q. Could you please tell me what two women served as models for the Statue of Liberty? BamBam A. The first model for the Statue was the sculptor's mother, Mme. Batholdi. Becaue of her age, she found it difficult to sit for the extended periods needed for the model. |
 Madame Bartholdi from Statue of Liberty History by The American Park Network |
The form of the statue itself is modeled after several other classical versions of the personification of freedom and liberty.
Q. Your website is wonderful. I read every question and answer you provided us. I have a question also. My son and I are of different opinions. He says the whole poem titled The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus is engraved in the base. I have never seen more than the last few lines starting with "Give me your hungry" Which fact is true? Thank you very much. AS
A. You probably found the brief note posted about Emma Lazarus and the poem at:
http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/libertyquestions.htm#solq18
and the article at:
http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/libertyfacts/EmmaLazarus/emma.htm
There is also a very good analysis posted at:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LIBERTY/lazarus.html
The poem was written in 1883, but it was not until 1903 that a private group cast the poem in bronze and had it attached in the base of the statue. The 14-line poem is mounted on a plaque in the musuem in the base of the statue near the exit.
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
with conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Q. I am a retired History/Government teacher and many years ago a professor at the university exposed us to some "little known" facts about the great statue. He said that the tablet, at the bottom of the Statue, was from an essay by Emma Lazarus concerning something about Alexander III of Russia.
So-what is the story about the tablet? BFR
A. I have not heard the Alexander III connection, but at least part of your summary is true. In 1883, Emma Lazarus was a 34 year old poet and member of a prominent New york Jewish family. She was invited to submit a poem for the Art Loan Exhibit, the proceeds of which would be used to fund the statue's base. At first she refused, but two days later submitted the poem "The New Colossus" inspired by her horror at the anti-Semitic riots in Russia and the sight of refugees who fled them. This account is from "Liberty, The Statue and the American Dream" by Leslie Allen and "Bearer of a Million Dreams" by Frank Spiering:
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Lazarus was not even invited to the opening ceremony (Jeanne-Emilie, Bartholdi's
wife, and Ferdinand de Lesseps' 8 year old daughter Tototte, were the only women
allowed on the island during the ceremnoy) and the bronze plaque with the poem
was not mounted in the Statue until 1903, and then only because of a private
donor. The poem itself was not widely recognized until about 1930. The bronze
plaque containing the poem is now mounted in the Museum in the base of the
Statue, on the East side near the postcard exhibit and Museum exit. |
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