Statue of Liberty

One of America's most famous landmarks - the Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

Presented to the people of France as a gift to the American people as a sign of friendship, entrenched during the American Revolution in 1884, the statue is a symbol of the United States who represents freedom and opportunities of this country.
The formal name of the statue - "Liberty enlightening the world." It represents freedom as a woman in graceful, flowing robes, carrying the torch - a symbol of freedom, which is able to avoid the chains of tyranny (the broken chains lie at her feet.) On her head a crown with seven teeth, signifying the seven seas and seven continents of the world. In the corona there are 25 viewing windows, which symbolize the earth and the celestial pearl rays illuminate the world. In his left hand holds a plate with a woman put on her date of the American Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776

Allegory of Liberty after the French Revolution became the official symbol of the French Republic.
Dear hearts, images of the French Republican Liberty adorned the state seal, a distinctive sign of a deputy of the Convention, coins, etc., etc.
In the years of the republic in Paris were two of the statue of Liberty. One of them was in October 1792 set up on Revolution Square (now the Place de la Concorde), the place where formerly stood a monument to Louis XV. Freedom appeared before the Parisians in full growth, based on the peak. On her head wearing the Phrygian cap. Another statue appeared on the peak area (now the Place Vendome), in place of the monument to Louis XIV. Statue of Liberty were in the main cities of the departments: in Nantes, Montpellier, Aix, Lyon, Troyes. Statues and busts of Liberty was decorated meeting rooms in various public offices, clubs and popular societies. Not without its oddities. For example, in one of these rooms as an image of Liberty decided to use the statue of the Blessed Virgin, guided by the fact that freedom - is "the only deity who will soon be worshiped on earth."

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to create a monument to the 1876 centennial of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. Creating the statue was a joint Franco-American project on which the American side erected a pedestal, and the French produced the statue and then collected it already in the U.S.. However, the lack of funds was felt on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, to raise funds involved in donations, held raffles and entertainment. In the United States, in turn, were theatrical performances, art exhibitions and auctions to raise funds.

At the same time in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer in the design calculation of a giant copper statue. Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, designed a powerful iron supports and framework, which allowed the copper shell of the statue to move while maintaining the balance of the statue itself.

Fundraising in the United States moved with difficulty, so Joseph Pulitzer (known by the name of the award), opened a special editorial supplement to his paper, "World" to support the fundraiser. In his Pulitzer newspaper lashed out as the rich, who were unwilling to finance the construction of the pedestal, and on the middle class, which used to rely on that money is a good thing there are always the wealthy compatriots. Harsh criticism Pulitzer was a success and motivated Americans to make donations. The money for the pedestal was collected in August 1885, and its construction was completed in April 1886.

Work on the statue was completed in France in July 1884.
The statue was taken to a height of 92 meters in New York on the French ship called the "Isere" (June 1885). Previously it had to be disassembled into 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates. The total weight of the construction amounted to 225 tons. (Her right arm with a torch, completed earlier, had already been exhibited at the International Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, and later in Madison Square in New York).

The statue was reassembled on its new basis for four months. The solemn ceremony of opening took place on Liberty Island October 28, 1886, in the presence of thousands of spectators.
At the ceremony, President Grover Cleveland on behalf of the American people has gifted the statue and said: "We will always remember that the freedom to choose this place home, and the altar of oblivion never cover."
The statue was a gift to the centennial, which was late for 10 years.

After 50 years, October 28, 1936, on the anniversary of the opening of the statue of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "Freedom and peace - things live. That they continue to exist, each generation must protect them and to put new life into them. "

Statue of Liberty was placed on a granite pedestal inside the Fort Wood, built for war in 1812, whose walls were lined with star-shaped.
U.S. Lighthouse Service was responsible for the maintenance of the statue until 1901 After 1901, the mission was assigned to the War Department.
Presidential Decree of October 15, 1924 Fort Wood (and the statue on its territory) has been declared a national monument, whose boundaries coincide with the boundaries of the fort.

In 1933, the Service National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service.
September 7, 1937 the area a national monument was increased and spread to the entire island Bedlou, who in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island. May 11, 1965 the island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of a national memorial "Statue of Liberty."

In May 1982 President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Yakokka lead the movement of the private sector to restore the Statue of Liberty.
The restoration was raised 87 million dollars by partnering the National Park Service and the Corporation, "The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island," which became the most successful collaboration of public and private sector in American history.
In 1984, at the beginning of work on its restoration, the statue of Liberty was included among the monuments of the United Nations in world importance.

July 5, 1986 restored the Statue of Liberty was reopened to visitors during the weekend of Liberty, dedicated to the centenary of her. The statue and the island have been closed since 11 September 2001 to August 3, 2004 due to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. August 4, 2004, the monument was opened, but the statue, including the crown, remain closed. Instead, the internal skeleton of the statue can be seen through the glass ceiling at the top pedestal. And there, and the observation deck at the podium, only to get organized tour. Access to the island is now accompanied by new constraints, and checks for security purposes.
The height from the ground to the top of the torch
92.99 m
The height from the ground to the top of the pedestal
46.94 m
Height from base to torch
46.05 m
Height of the statue
33.86 m
The length of the hand
5.00 m
The length of the index finger
2.44 m
The head from the crown to the chin
5.26 m
The width of the face
3.05 m
The length of the eye
0.76 m
The length of the nose
1.37 m
The length of the right hand
12.80 m
The thickness of the right hand
3.66 m
Waist
10.67 m
The length of the mouth
0.91 m
The height of signs
7.19 m
Width of plate
4.14 m
The thickness of the plate
0.61 m

354 steps lead up to the crown of the statue or the 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. The total weight of copper used to tide the statue - 62 thousand pounds (31 tons), and the total weight of steel construction - 250 thousand pounds (125 tons). The total weight of the cement pedestal - 54 million pounds (27 tons). The thickness of the copper coating of the statue - 3/32 inch or 2.37 mm. Mobility in the wind: the wind force of 50 miles per hour is rocking statue of 3 inches (7.62 cm), and the torch sways 5 inches (12.7 cm).