French Statue of Liberty
French Statue Liberty is a copy of the American one, but is four times smaller in size. It is located on Swan Island near the Eiffel Tower on a narrow artificial dam. This statue can be observed from the windows of a car while driving along the embankment. The sculpture was made by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and is a return gift to the French from the United States. A smaller copy of the Statue of Liberty was brought to Paris in one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine. Its height is eleven and a half meters. The sculpture is facing west, as if looking towards its older sister.
The Paris Statue of Liberty adorns the eastern part Swan Lake. This sculpture is a brilliant creation of the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. In the hands of the statue is a tablet on which significant dates of the French and American revolutions are engraved. It is located in the very heart of France - in Paris and annually attracts great amount tourists. In addition to the sculptor himself, model Isabella Boyer, engineer Gustave Eiffel and his assistant Maurice Koechlin took part in its creation.
The “little sister” of the American Statue of Liberty is quite miniature in size and is made of copper, and the structure underneath is made of concrete.
At that time, the project to erect the Statue of Liberty turned out to be a very expensive undertaking. To implement it, the project developers organized a collection of charitable donations, which made it possible to bring the idea to life. The French Statue of Liberty is located on Swan Island on the Seine River, not far from the Eiffel Tower. The island itself is built in the form of a dam and serves as a foundation for the sculpture. To get closer to this attraction, you can use the sixth line of the Paris metro, which has roads for both transport and pedestrians. In Paris, in addition to the Statue of Liberty on Swan Island, there are three more analogues - in the Luxembourg Gardens, in the Museum of Arts and Crafts, and also on the right bank of the Seine on one of the barges. In order to explore these and other attractions of Paris located on the banks of the Seine, while saving time and effort, it is recommended to take a boat trip.
Surely, many people know such a symbol of New York as the Statue of Liberty, however, not everyone knows that one of the most famous sculptures in the world comes from France. It was presented to the United States in one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five as a gift to mark the centenary of the American Revolution. At the same time, the return gift did not take long to arrive - and in one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine, Paris was presented with a gift in the form of a copy of the Statue of Liberty, the size of which was eleven and a half meters. So France got its own Statue of Liberty. Today it is located in the eastern part of Swan Island, positioned in such a way that its face faces west (as if towards its “big New York sister”). However, previously this statue was located facing east, with its back to the Elysee Court.
She stood in this position for about fifty years. Subsequently, this location was considered inappropriate - and in one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven the statue was turned to face the American continent.
In her hands is a tablet with the dates of the French and American revolutions stamped on it. In addition, there are several more copies of the American Statue of Liberty in Paris, which are also very popular among tourists.
Historically, the main attraction of the United States of America takes its roots from France. In Paris you can find three such monuments of different sizes. The most famous is located on Swan Island, near the Eiffel Tower.
Paris Statue of Liberty on Swan Island
The eastern part of Swan Island became home to a smaller Statue of Liberty. Rising on a concrete pedestal, the copper lady, 11.5 meters high, peers into the distant shores of the American continent. Initially, the monument looked east, and only at the end of the 1930s did its gaze turn to the west.
The monument is entirely made of copper fragments, which are attached to a durable metal frame in a special way, where the seams are practically invisible. Copper ore for casting was specially imported from Russia, and the frame underwent many tests with strong winds and water before installation.
Despite the fact that the statues are almost identical, as was originally intended, they still differ in two ways. The first is the size; as you know, the Paris Statue of Liberty has been reduced by 4 times. But the second difference is not so noticeable, but still, if you look at the code of laws that the lady is holding in her left hand, you can see a different number of dates. The French one has two dates, while the American one has one.
Other copies of the Statue of Liberty
Another similar exhibit is on display at the Museum of Arts and Crafts. The size of the statue allows everyone to come up and examine Miss Liberty down to the smallest detail. It is she who is the first model, according to which the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi later created the famous “Freedom Illuminating the World”, known to many. 
The second statue is located at the entrance to the Orsay Museum. It has been here since 2012, before that it was located on the territory of the Luxembourg Gardens.
The third bronze Statue of Liberty is located in the Luxembourg Gardens. It was installed immediately after the previous version was moved to the Orsay Museum. 
For all the time, the Statue of Liberty on Swan Island left its place only once. This happened in 1998, when Japan officially declared the Year of French Culture. Among the many exhibits from various museums, the country Rising Sun The Paris Statue of Liberty also went. Her temporary place of residence was the island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. It is worth noting that for many Japanese residents this was a discovery. Few of them knew about the origin of America's "Liberty Enlightening the World"
Gifted as a sign of mutual cooperation between the two peoples, the monument quickly lost its original purpose. Over time, this statue of the sculptor Bartholdi turned into a symbol of human freedom and independence, not of an individual people, but of all humanity.
Updated: 12/22/2016The Statue of Liberty in Paris is the “little sister” of the American Statue of Liberty. The building is a gift to the French from the Americans. The gift from the Americans is reciprocal; in 1885, it was the French who gave the Americans the original Statue of Liberty, which is installed in New York, on the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
The statue is installed on Swan Island in the eastern part of Paris. The height of the statue is 11.5 meters, weight is 14 tons. Initially, the statue was facing east - towards the Eiffel Tower, but in 1937 it was turned around, and today it faces its “big sister” in New York Harbor - to the west.
Story
The Statue of Liberty in France is located in its very heart and attracts crowds of tourists. From the car window, driving along the embankment, you can see it in all its glory. The following people worked on the production of the original statue:
- sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi;
- engineer Gustave Eiffel;
- his assistant Maurice Koechlin.
The model was Isabella Boyer. The prototype of the statue was the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.
Based on the original, a copy was created, which was obviously inaccurate. It is also made of copper, its base is made of concrete, but has more modest dimensions (the scale of the copy in relation to the original is 4:1). In the left hand of the statue there is a tablet, and on it are two dates - one important for the French people - Bastille Day (July 14, 1789) and the second - important for the American people - the day of the US Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). There is only one date on the plaque of the American statue - July 4, 1776.
Even before the official opening of the New York Statue of Liberty, the American diaspora in Paris initiated fundraising for a return gift. Already in 1889 (four years after receiving the gift), the Americans presented a copy to the French.
How to get there
Swan Island is a narrow artificial dam on the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower. It was created in 1825 to support the pillars of Parisian bridges. To get to Paris's Statue of Liberty on Swan Island, you need to cross the Grenelle Bridge, which is close to Bir Akeim and Javel metro stations. The statue is surrounded by trees and there is a small area where you can take photo sessions. The park around the statue was completely renovated in 2012.
It is impossible to get to the attraction from the river, since the length of the island of 850 meters is not enough to equip the piers. But from any excursion boat that sails past Swan Island, the statue is clearly visible.
Other Statues of Liberty in France
In addition to the Statue of Liberty on Swan Island in France, there are three more of its analogues.
One is in the Museum of Arts and Crafts. Here the statue can be seen in all details. This statue is the first and main model that was completed by Bartholdi in 1878 and subsequently used to create the American Statue of Liberty.
The second was created by Bartholdi to carry out World's Fair 1900, after which it was transferred to the Museum in the Luxembourg Gardens. In 1905, it was installed in the Luxembourg Gardens, where it stood for more than a century - until 2012. Today it adorns the entrance to the Orsay Museum, and in its place in the Luxembourg Gardens stands a new bronze copy.
The third is located on the bow of the barge "Nina", moored near the Eiffel Tower.
The Alma Bridge is decorated with the Flame of Liberty - a gilded, full-size replica of a sculpture element of the American Statue of Liberty. The Americans also presented it to the French. In 1997, Princess Diana died under the Alma Bridge, and her fans turned the Flame of Freedom into a monument to the princess - you can always see fresh flowers near it.
- The copper for the statue was brought from Russia. It was obtained from the Republic of Bashkortostan, and according to other sources, it was smelted at a copper smelter in Nizhny Tagil. German cement was used in the construction of the pedestal.
- The Paris Statue of Liberty was officially unveiled on US Independence Day, July 4, 1889, by French President Sadi Carnot.
- The Paris Statue of Liberty on Swan Island can be seen in the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, released in 2007.
The Paris Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the independence of two nations at the same time: French and American. The history of the Parisian statue is inextricably linked with the creation of the American monument. The author of the masterpiece in the USA is the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (1885). The role of the model was played by Isabella Boyler, the widow of Isaac Singer, a famous manufacturer of sewing machines. The American Statue of Liberty was intended as a gift from the French people to mark the centenary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.
It is noteworthy that Gustave Eiffel himself, the future creator of the Eiffel Tower, helped with the design of the American Statue of Liberty. Eiffel's challenge was to develop a massive steel support and intermediate frame that would allow the copper shell to move freely while remaining vertical. Copper was brought from Russia (from what is now Bashkortostan). German cement was used in the construction of the foundation.
Just 4 years later, America presented France with a return gift - an absolutely exact copy of the monument, but much smaller in height. “Liberty” in Paris has a height of only 11.5 meters, while “Freedom” in America is more than 4 times higher (the height is 46 meters, and if you take into account the pedestal and base, then 93 meters).
The main Parisian symbol of Freedom stands today on Swan Island (see the mark on the map, exact coordinates) not far from the Eiffel Tower. It is noteworthy that the woman’s face faces west, where the “American Big Sister” is installed. In the right hand of the “Parisian Liberty” there is a torch, and in the left there is a tablet with two dates: the revolutions in France and in America.
However, when you arrive in Paris, you will be pleasantly surprised by surprises: in the city of all lovers there is not one statue representing the freedom of the nation, but four! Just a haven for photo sessions. And if you are planning a honeymoon trip to Paris, we recommend photographer Arthur Yakutsevich (see link).
The second is located in the Museum of Arts and Crafts. This is the oldest European museum dedicated to technical topics. The third has a height of 2 meters and is located in the very center of the French capital, in the Luxembourg Gardens. To see the fourth, you need to climb the Eiffel Tower - the sculpture stands on a barge, which is moored to a pier on the right bank of the Seine River.
On the Alma Bridge there is a replica of the American "Liberty" torch, which America gave to the French people almost 30 years ago. In 1997, Princess Diana died under the Alma Bridge. Therefore, her fans made a monument out of the torch: both in winter and in summer, here you can see the flowers that people laid in her memory.
Statues of Liberty in other cities of France
Another copy of the famous monument is located in the city of Colmar (Alsace province, eastern France). The height of the copy is 12 meters. When creating it, a model with a height of 128 centimeters was used, which is stored in one of the city’s museums. It was installed 9 years ago - on July 4, 2004, in memory of the 100th anniversary of the death of the original creator, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
In Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer there is a gilded Statue of Liberty, its height is 6 meters. Its special feature is the torch, which is actually a lantern. It's lit in dark time days.
When visiting Paris, you may be surprised by the fact that the legendary Statue of Liberty, an enduring and well-known symbol of America, is also located not far from the Eiffel Tower. Many, seeing photographs where these two buildings are located next to each other, take them for a photomontage, but they are mistaken. True, in France it is several times smaller than the American original.
Well, now a few names and facts from the history of the monument that has become a world brand, rising on a huge pedestal. Actually, the very idea of the Statue of Liberty belongs to the Frenchman Edouard R. L. de Laboulaye. As an opponent of slavery throughout the world, he wanted to make a gift to America in honor of the 100th anniversary of American independence in 1865 and thereby perpetuate the victory of liberation ideas in the Civil War.
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is the name of the sculptor who worked on the creation of the monument. The prototype of the statue is the ancient Roman goddess Libertas. It is believed that the role of the model was played by Isabella Boyler, the widow of the notorious Isaac Singer. Eugene Emanul Viollet-le Duc was asked to lead the engineering project “Statue of Liberty, Paris”, and he himself helped with the design
It is interesting that the well-known New York Statue of Liberty is a gift from France, and the Parisian statue is a reciprocal gift from America. The Statue of Liberty in Paris is only 11.5 meters high. Many states in America, as well as many cities in France and other countries, have their own small copies of the legendary New York symbol of freedom.
The main Statue of Liberty in Paris today stands not far from the Eiffel Tower. Its face is turned to the west, to where its “American sister” is installed. In her right hand, the Statue of Liberty in Paris holds her traditional torch, and in her left hand, a stone tablet with two historical dates of coups: in France and in America. 
There are a large number of Statues of Liberty in the world. In addition to the "most important" New York, they decorate Paris, Colmer, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Tokyo, Las Vegas. There are similar statues in Moscow, Uzhgorod, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov and Cadas in Spain. Each has its own history and its own characteristics. For example, the Statue of Liberty, which is located on Liberty Avenue in Lviv (Ukraine), is the only seated image of this symbol in the world.
It is interesting that copies of the statue began to appear even before the original was installed. This is due to the lack of funds for its creation. Before starting work on the design, Bartholdi entered into an agreement with a Parisian foundry company. According to the contract, the company had the right to mass produce and sell the Statue of Liberty. Thus, the first “swallow” of the Statue of Liberty was the appearance of the monument to the French people in September 1882 in the city of Klegerek. This sculpture became a monument to Sergeant Joseph Pobeguin, who was born in this city and took part in the expedition to the Sahara. 
The Statue of Liberty in Paris is presented in four places: at the Grenelle Bridge (the one next to Eiffel Tower), in and two at once in the Museum of Arts and Crafts.