History and amazing facts about the Statue of Liberty in New York. Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty Architect

The Statue of Liberty has been one of the symbols of the United States for more than a century. But many ideas about it are incorrect, and some very little is known. Let's find out more about this unusual monument.

First of all, we note that it is officially called differently - “Freedom Illuminating the World.” The sculpture is located on the island of the same name, three kilometers southwest of Manhattan. For a long time it was called Bellow Island. The monument holds in its right hand a torch (which, as it were, “illuminates” the world), and in its left hand a tablet with the date of the US Declaration of Independence, written in Latin numerals. One of the legs of the “Illuminator” tramples torn shackles.

The seven rays in the crown crowning the statue symbolically represent the seas and continents. And yet, what is the Statue of Liberty in the USA made of? It would seem that it should be steel or stone, judging by the perception.

However, not all so simple. There is steel there - 125 tons. The sculptors also used 31 tons of copper, which covers it with a layer of just over two and a half millimeters. However, the numbers for both steel and copper simply pale in comparison to the concrete base, which reaches twenty-seven thousand tons. Thin copper sheets are mounted on top of a steel frame. Together with the foundation and pedestal, the height to the top of the torch reaches ninety-three meters.

Where was the Statue of Liberty made?

The monument symbolizing the United States was not actually made in America or even in the Western Hemisphere!

The author of the sculpture is the Frenchman Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The idea was to present it as a gift for the centennial anniversary of the United States. It’s interesting that they were going to install it in Port Said, Egypt, and call it “The Light of Asia.” However, the Cairo government decided not to spend money on installation and transportation.

When France and America entered into an agreement, it was assumed that they would make, respectively, sculpture and installation at the expense of Paris, and the pedestal at the expense of Washington. But material difficulties that arose on both sides of the ocean slowed things down.

What material was used for production?

It seems that we already know the answer to this question. But... let's not rush. The copper for that very statue was either mined in Bashkiria or smelted in Nizhny Tagil. The pedestal underneath is made of German cement.

However, that's not all! In addition to the sculpture itself, there are many copies of it. There are four of them in Paris alone; gilded version with a lantern instead of a torch in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. There are many other versions - for example, in one of the Las Vegas casinos, in Japan, the broken head of the once existing “freedom” in the Tretyakov Gallery, in Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Budapest, Riga.

After the tragedy of September 11, the original Statue of Liberty was closed to the public. Currently, it is available to everyone, but subject to thorough searches similar to those carried out in international airports. Consequently, the symbol of the USA is one of the safest sites in the world for tourists.

The Statue of Liberty was built on October 28, 1886. The French gave the statue to the American people as a sign of friendship between France and America. Over the past years, the monument has been recognized not only as the personification of the friendship of the two peoples (which has been relegated far to the background), but also as a symbol of the freedom of the American people, a symbol of the USA and New York as a whole.

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. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, creator of the Eiffel Tower, personally designed the strong iron support and frame that allows the copper shell of the statue to move freely while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.

Pictured: Alexander Gustav Eiffel

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

The history of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the place where it was built, is closely connected with the history of the formation of the United States. The monument was placed on a pedestal inside Fort Wood, which was built specifically for the War of 1812 in the shape of a star. For the first few decades, the complex was maintained by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, and it was not until 1924 that it became a National Monument. And in 1937, the area of ​​the monument was expanded to the borders of the entire Bedlow Island, in 1956 it was renamed Liberty Island

In 1982, the monument was restored. President Ronald Reagan personally oversaw this process, appointing Lee Iacocca as manager. Fundraising was initiated again and $87 million was raised. This time we managed to collect quite a lot of money short term, which became the most successful example of public-private collaboration in US history. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was designated a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986, in honor of the centenary of the monument, the complex was reopened to the public, this time everything was completed without delay for 10 years

Ronald Reagan

There are 354 steps leading to the top of the statue, and 192 to the top of the pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown, which symbolizes the precious stones of the Earth and the rays of the sun that illuminate the world. The seven rays on the crown of the statue symbolize the 7 seas and 7 continents. The plaque the statue holds in her left hand reads: “July 4, 1776.” To cast the statue, 31 tons of copper were used, and the total weight of the steel structure was 125 tons. The weight of the cement base is 27 thousand tons, and the thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.37 mm

After September 11, 2001, the statue and island were closed due to terrorist threats, but tours were resumed in 2009. You can climb onto the statue itself and its crown, but the torch is still closed. All visitors are subject to personal search in order to avoid a terrorist attack.

An interesting fact is that a wind of 100 km/h will cause the monument to sway 7.62 cm, while the torch will sway 12.7 cm. During the solemn speech at the unveiling ceremony of the statue on October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland made the following speech:

“We will always remember that Liberty chose this place as her home, and her altar will never be covered by oblivion.”

Report on the world around us for grades 2-3 on the topic “Statue of Liberty”

Story

The Statue of Liberty was built in October 1886. The monument is a symbol of freedom for the people of America, a symbol of the country and of New York.

The creation of the statue was carried out by the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. The sculpture had to be completed by 1876. They wanted to coincide with its completion to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of America. The creation of the statue is a joint work of the French and Americans. The pedestal was created by the Americans, and the statue was made in France. In New York, the statue was pieced together piece by piece.

More money was needed than expected. For this reason, they organized a large-scale fundraising campaign and various events. To calculate the dimensions of the structure of the huge monument, the help of a specialist was needed. A.G. Eiffel became the developer of the design of a reliable support made of iron and a frame that allows the copper shell to move freely and at the same time maintain the balance of the statue.

American citizens were not particularly willing to hand over money. For this reason, difficulties arose in collecting the required amount. D. Pulitzer published several articles in the World newspaper in which he appealed to Americans to allocate funds for a good cause. The criticism turned out to be very harsh, and this led to the desired result.

By the beginning of August 1885, America managed to obtain the required amount. By this time, the French had completed their work and delivered parts of the monument to New York. The Statue of Liberty had three hundred and fifty parts, which filled two hundred and fourteen boxes. Within four months, all parts of the statue were assembled. With a very large number of people on October twenty-sixth, 1886, the legendary monument was opened. The centenary gift was ten years late. It should be noted that the hand and torch were assembled even earlier and were exhibited at an exhibition in 1876 in Philadelphia.

Location

The statue is placed on a pedestal on the grounds of Fort Wood, built for the War of 1812. It is shaped like a star. Initially, the monument was maintained by the American Lighthouse Service for a number of decades. It was only in 1924 that it received the status of a National Monument. In 1937, the area of ​​the attraction was expanded to cover the entire area of ​​Bedlow Island. Nineteen years later, Bedloe was renamed Liberty Island.

Restoration

In 1982, the monument was restored. US leader R. Reagan himself followed this process. They organized a fundraiser again and raised eighty-seven million dollars. It took much less time to collect these funds than last time. In 1984, the landmark was included in a number of monuments of world significance. At the beginning of July 1986, the complex was reopened to the public. This was carried out in honor of the centenary anniversary of the statue.

To climb to the top of the statue, you need to overcome three hundred and fifty-four steps. And to climb to the top of the pedestal - one hundred and ninety-two steps. The crown has twenty-five windows. They symbolize the jewels of the Earth and the rays of the sun that illuminate the world. There are seven rays on the crown. They symbolize the seas and continents. Thirty-one tons of copper were spent on casting the statue. The total weight of the steel structure is one hundred twenty-five tons.

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, creator Eiffel Tower, developed the design of an 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. The salty sea air corroded its structure so much 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 so will have to walk around the area around the statue and go up to the observation deck on the 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 neighboring island Ellis (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

Serving from 1892 to 1954 as a transit point for more than 12 million immigrants hoping to start a new life in America, Ellis Island is modest and sometimes even squalid, but on the other hand, it symbolizes the fulfillment of dreams. 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 people changed the United States.

On October 28, 1886, amid cannon shots, blaring sirens and incessant fireworks, the most famous monument of the United States of America - the legendary Statue of Liberty - was unveiled. From this day on, every ship entering the port of New York is greeted by a stone statue of a woman with a torch of freedom in her hand, outstretched to the sky.

History of the Statue of Liberty

Surprisingly, main symbol freedom of the United States is the brainchild of French masters. It was in Paris that the Statue was born. It was then dismantled into pieces and transported across. Here it was reassembled and installed on a powerful plinth, which the Americans themselves built Bedloe’s Island, now Liberty Island. Liberty Island, where the statue is located, is federal property in the state of New York. The island is located closer to the New Jersey coast, which is why some people mistakenly classify it as New Jersey.

The idea of ​​​​creating the Statue of Liberty appeared in 1865 from academician Edouard de Laboulaye. The author of the Statue of Liberty itself is a sculptor from Alsace, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, at that time still a young and unknown master. A few years earlier, Bartholdi had planned to build a huge lighthouse on the Suez Canal. According to his plans, this lighthouse should be in the form of a female figure. The sculpture was supposed to hold a torch in its hands, the light from which was supposed to illuminate the way for the sailors. But at one time the idea of ​​a lighthouse on the Suez Canal was rejected. That is why the young sculptor responded with great enthusiasm to the idea of ​​​​Edouard de Laboulaye.

When creating the sculpture, Bartholdi more than once turned to Delacroix’s painting “Freedom Leading the People to the Barricades.” It was the image of Liberty from this canvas that became the main prototype for the Statue of Liberty. According to one version, Bartholdi even had an American model: the beautiful, recently widowed Isabella Boyer, wife of Isaac Singer, an entrepreneur in the field of sewing machines. "...As the beautiful, French widow of an American entrepreneur, she proved a suitable model for Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty." (Ruth Brandon, Singer and the Sewing Machine: A Capitalist Romance).

Engineer Gustave Eiffel was invited to create the statue, who would later become famous as the author of the famous. Eiffel designed an ingenious metal frame structure that was supported by a central support pillar. On this movable frame the outer, that is, visible, shell of the statue made of copper with a thickness of 2.4 millimeters was strengthened. Bartholdi began by building a small figure, only 1.2 meters in size, and then made three more, gradually making them larger. They were adjusted and refined until the optimal option was achieved.

By mutual agreement, America was to build a pedestal and create a statue and install it in the United States. To avoid financial difficulties, special funds were organized that searched for funds. In France, funds were raised by organizing entertainment events and lotteries. They organized theatrical performances, art exhibitions, auctions and boxing fights. However, the accumulation of funds for the pedestal was slow, and Joseph Pulitzer (known as the founder of the Pulitzer Prize) issued an appeal in his World newspaper to support fundraising for the project fund. This had an effect and contributed to an increase in donations from Americans.

The statue was completed in France in July 1884, and was delivered to New York Harbor on June 17, 1885 aboard the French frigate Isere. For transportation, the statue was disassembled into 350 parts and packed into 214 boxes. The statue was assembled on its new base in four months. The inauguration of the Statue of Liberty, which was attended by US President Grover Cleveland, took place on October 28, 1886 in the presence of thousands of spectators.

In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was listed World Heritage. In 1986, before the centenary, the monument was temporarily closed for careful restoration and reopened to visitors on July 5, 1986.

Features of the Statue of Liberty

Today the Statue of Liberty is one of the national symbols of the United States. Rising at the mouth of the Hudson at the entrance to New York Harbor, a woman in graceful, flowing robes carrying a torch personifies the freedom and opportunity of the country. On her head she wears a crown with seven teeth, representing the seven seas and seven continents. At the woman's feet are the torn shackles of tyranny. In the woman's left hand she holds a slab with the date of the American Declaration of Independence inscribed on it - July 4, 1776.

The statue was made from thin sheets of copper hammered into wooden molds. The formed sheets were then installed on a steel frame.

The height of the Statue (by the way, it was originally called more pathetically - “Freedom, bringing light to the world”) is 46 meters, so, if we also take into account the 47-meter pedestal, the top of the torch is at a height of 93 meters above the ground. The weight of the monument is 205 tons. The length of the right hand, in which the torch is held, is 12.8 meters, with the index finger alone having a length of 2.4 meters, the width of the mouth is 91 centimeters.

A spiral staircase inside the statue leads tourists to the top. The statue is usually open to visitors, who usually arrive by ferry. The crown, accessible by stairs, offers expansive views of New York Harbor.

In 1972, the Museum of the Settlement of America was opened inside the Statue itself, which can be reached by a special elevator. The entire history of the country is presented here: from the ancestors - the Indians who inhabited the then unknown continent, and right up to the mass migration in the present century.

Opinions about the Statue of Liberty are completely contradictory. Nothing like this had been seen in America before the construction of this sculpture. Connoisseurs noted the high technique of execution, the clarity of proportions and the grace of lines. But opponents of those who recognized the Freedom Monument as the eighth wonder of the world noted that the symbol of Freedom in the form of a statue was interpreted too coldly and dispassionately. It is no coincidence that the epithet appeared that Freedom is “blind”, and greatness is conveyed only by large sizes.

However, evil tongues are not a hindrance to Freedom. All over the world, the Statue is considered a symbol of the United States, embodying the democratic principles of which this country is so proud.