Statue of Liberty in America what. The Statue of Liberty
Jeroen van Luin / flickr.com Alan Strakey / flickr.com Liberty Island, New York, USA (Delta Whiskey / flickr.com) Statue of Liberty, New York, USA (Mobilus In Mobili / flickr.com) Andy Atzert / flickr .com Anthony Quintano / flickr.com Liberty Island, New York (Phil Dolby / flickr.com) Anthony Quintano / flickr.com Chris Tse / flickr.com sylvain.collet / flickr.com Plaque in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty with date of adoption Declaration of Independence (Pete Bellis / flickr.com) ali sinan köksal / flickr.com Jon Dawson / flickr.com Tom Thai / flickr.com Wilhelm Joys Andersen / flickr.com David Ohmer / flickr.com Justin / flickr.com Statue of Liberty Torch (Mike Clarke / flickr.com) Top view of the Statue of Liberty (StatueLibrtyNPS / flickr.com)
The Statue of Liberty is the main symbol of the American people, the idea of freedom. In addition, this is another symbol of the New York metropolis.
The majestic building in America is located on Liberty Island. Approximately 3,000 meters southwest of Manhattan Island, New York. Until the year 56 of the last century, the island in the USA, which now adorns the Statue of Liberty, was referred to as Bedloe. Although at the beginning of the century it was already nicknamed the "Island of Freedom".
In the right hand of the statue, which is 12.8 meters long, a torch burns. On the left is a tablet, the length of which is 4.14 meters. It bears the date of the Declaration of Independence of the United States from Great Britain.
Broken chains are seen under the feet of the statue, which, in turn, symbolizes liberation. On the head, the distance from the chin to the back of the head is 5.26 meters. The length of the nose is 1.37 meters.
Statue of Liberty 7 Prong Crown, New York (sylvain.collet / flickr.com)
The statue is crowned with a crown of 7 teeth. It is a symbol of the seven seas and at the same time the seven continents. According to the geography the globe seven continents: Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica. Seven seas mean the same number of parts of the oceans. Also, windows are made in the crown, which shine like diamonds in the sun and decorate it.
Another fact is that visitors usually walk 192 steps to climb the pedestal. And in order to climb to the very top, you need to overcome 356 steps. The size of the statue is very impressive. The total height of the structure is 93 meters. And the height of the particular statue is 46 meters.
To visit this attraction, you need to get to the island by ferry. Usually they climb to the very top, from where you can admire the stunning panorama of New York and its harbor, indescribable.
Who gave the Statue of Liberty to America?
Despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America and New York, it was by no means made in the States. Where did she come from then?
Tablet in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty with the date of the Declaration of Independence (Pete Bellis / flickr.com)
The attraction is interesting because it is a gift from France on Independence Day to the States. The statue was designed and made by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor. The main idea is to make a gift to America on the centenary of the Declaration of Independence.
The widow Isabella Boyer posed for the statue. An interesting fact is that it was the wife of Singer, the American creator of the famous brand of sewing machines. This lady was not the last person in the capital and at the same time a beautiful woman.
An interesting fact - the Statue of Liberty was originally planned to be placed not in New York, but in Port Said - in Egypt. But the Egyptian authorities considered this project too expensive. Therefore, it was decided to transfer the building to the USA, where it will rise on the island of the New York metropolis.
Design and preparation for construction
The authorities of the States undertook to build a pedestal, and in Paris they made the statue itself. The French undertook to install it on the spot.
Top view of Liberty Article, New York, USA (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)
In order to collect the necessary amount for the implementation of the project, special measures were taken in both states. In France, a certain amount of money was raised thanks to lotteries, entertainment events, and donations from citizens. In America, theatrical performances, exhibitions of artists, fights in the ring and auctions were held to collect the required amount.
In France, the author of the construction, Bartholdi, needed a technically educated person to construct the statue. Another interesting fact, this person was destined to become the architect Gustave Eiffel, herself famous work which in the future became the Eiffel Tower. He needed to design a steel support for the structure and a frame to support the tall statue in an upright position.
For a statue high altitude a huge amount of copper was needed. There are different interesting versions about the place of its extraction. For example, in Russia, in Nizhny Tagil. But according to the results of the study, it turned out that the copper was from Norway. The concrete base on which the Statue of Liberty stands required a large number of cement. The German company for the production of concrete undertook to deliver it.
The formation of the amount needed for the construction was not fast enough. Joseph Pulitzer even urged American citizens to support the construction. His speeches significantly influenced the speed of the implementation of the plan. The pedestal was designed by an architect named Richard Morris Hunt.
Erection of the Statue of Liberty
The construction of the massive foundation near Manhattan in New York began on August 5, 1885. They built it in a little less than 9 months, and the work ended on April 22, 1886. Steel lintels are inserted inside the stone pedestal. The metal beams connected to them are directed upwards to go into the Eiffel frame inside the structure itself.
France made its gift in the summer. The length of the entire structure turned out to be almost 34 meters. For transportation, it was dismantled into 350 fragments, which were distributed among many boxes. They were transported to the United States on the Ysere ship. After 11 months, the Statue of Liberty appeared near New York, where it was erected in 4 months of work.
Officially, the Statue of Liberty was opened in 1886 in New York. The ceremony was attended by Grover Cleveland, then ruling in the United States, and more than a thousand residents and guests of the city.
History of the Statue of Liberty in the United States of America
The Statue of Liberty near New York City sits on its massive granite base inside Fort Wood, built for defensive purposes in the early 19th century. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the lighthouse service was responsible for the operation of the facility. After this role was taken over by the military in the United States.
On October 15, by decree of the US government, Fort Wood, in combination with the Statue of Liberty, acquired the status of a monument to the American nation in the United States.
"a symbol of New York and the USA" Jon Dawson / flickr.com
In 1933, the Service became responsible for the Statue of Liberty. national parks USA. In 1937, the size of the monument grew and began to coincide with the outline of Bedloe. In 1956, the name of the island changed, it acquired a new name - Liberty Island.
In 82 of the last century, under the influence of the head of the country, Reagan, a project was created to restore the Statue of Liberty. As a result, an amount of 87 million dollars was collected. In 1984, restoration work began, during which the old torch was replaced with a modern one with gold coating. Another interesting fact is that 24-carat gold was used for coating. In 1986, the renovated Statue of Liberty welcomed everyone to visit it on the occasion of the anniversary.
In early September 2001, due to the tragedy in the Twin Towers, the island, along with the Statue of Liberty, became inaccessible to those wishing to visit it. And only in 2004, the Statue of Liberty was again open to the public, but access to the top was still closed.
Since July 4, 2009, by order of US President Obama, it has become possible to visit the top of the Statue of Liberty. In 2011, elevators with stairs were updated in honor of the next anniversary. In addition, for the convenience of visitors, an escalator was installed here. In 2012, the Statue of Liberty became fully accessible to New Yorkers and visitors to the United States.
The Statue of Liberty is one of the symbols of America and New York. It has been attracting tourists for many years and is a cult place among Americans.
The Statue of Liberty or, as it is also called, Lady Liberty, has symbolized the spread of freedom and democracy for many years. A striking symbol of liberation is the trampling of broken fetters by the statue. An impressive structure located on the North American mainland in New York, invariably appears to the eyes of all its guests and gives the most unforgettable experience.
Creation of the Statue of Liberty
The monument went down in history as a gift to the United States from the French government. According to the official version, this event took place in honor of America's celebration of 100 years since independence, and also as a sign of friendship between the two states. The author of the project was the leader of the French anti-slavery movement Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Labuela. 
Work on the creation of the statue began in 1875 in France and was completed in 1884. They were headed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a talented French sculptor. It was this outstanding person who for 10 years created the future symbol of freedom on a global scale in his art studio. 
The work was carried out in collaboration with the best minds of France. Gustave Eiffel, developer of the creation project eiffel tower, participated in the design of the internal steel frame famous statue. The work was continued by one of his assistants, engineer Maurice Kehlin. 
The solemn ceremony of presenting the French gift to American colleagues was scheduled for July 1876. An obstacle to the implementation of the plan was a banal lack of funds. US President Grover Cleveland was able to accept in a solemn ceremony a gift from the French government only 10 years later. The date of the ceremonial handover of the Statue was October 1886. Bedloe Island has been designated as the location for the historic ceremony. After 70 years, it received the name "Island of Freedom". 
Description of the legendary landmark
The Statue of Liberty is on the list of the world's most famous masterpieces. Her right hand proudly raises a torch, while her left hand displays a tablet with inscriptions. The inscription indicates the date major event for all the American people - Independence Day of the United States of America. 
The dimensions of Lady Liberty are impressive. Its height from the ground to the top of the torch is 93 meters. Head size - 5.26 meters, nose length - 1.37 m, eyes - 0.76 m, arms - 12.8 meters, the length of each hand is 5 m. The size of the plate is 7.19 m.
Curious what the Statue of Liberty is made of. It took at least 31 tons of copper to cast her body. The entire steel structure weighs in total about 125 tons. 
The 25 view windows located in the crown are a symbol of the wealth of the country. And the rays coming out of it in the amount of 7 pieces are a symbol of the seven continents and seas. In addition to this, they symbolize the expansion of freedom in all directions. 
Traditionally, the location of the monument is reached by ferry. A favorite place to visit is the crown. To enjoy the local landscapes and views of the New York coast from a height, you need to climb to a special platform inside it. To this end, visitors will have to overcome a large number of steps - 192 to the top of the pedestal, and then 356 already in the body itself. 
As a reward for the most persistent visitors, extensive views of New York with its picturesque surroundings open up. No less interesting is the pedestal where the museum with historical expositions located in it is located. 
Little known interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty
The period of creation and subsequent existence of the monument is filled with entertaining facts and stories. Some of them are not illuminated even when tourists visit New York City.
The first name of the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is the name by which the masterpiece is known throughout the world. At first it was known under the name "Liberty Enlightening the World" - "Freedom Enlightening the World." At first, instead of it, it was planned to erect a monument in the form of a farmer with a torch in his hand. The place of establishment was to be the territory of Egypt at the entrance to the Suez Canal. The drastically changed plans of the Egyptian government prevented this. 
The prototype of the face of the Statue of Liberty
The information is widespread that the face of the Statue of Liberty is nothing more than a fiction of the author. However, two versions of its origin are known. According to the first, the face of the famous model of French origin, Isabella Boyer, became the prototype of the face. According to another, Frederick Bartholdi immortalized the face of his own mother in the monument. 
Metamorphoses with color
Immediately after creation, the statue was distinguished by a bright golden-orange color. In St. Petersburg, visitors to the Hermitage can see a painting depicting it in its original form. Today, the monument has acquired a green color. This is due to patination, a process in which the metal acquires a blue-green hue when interacting with air. This transformation of the American symbol lasted for 25 years, which is captured in numerous photos. The copper coating of the statue naturally oxidized, which can be seen today. 
"Journeys" of the head of Lady Liberty
A little-known fact: before all the pieces of the French gift were collected in New York, the Statue of Liberty had to travel around the country disassembled for some time. Her head was exhibited in one of the Philadelphia museums in 1878. The French also decided to enjoy the unprecedented spectacle before she left for her destination. In the same year, the head was put on public display at one of the Paris exhibitions. 
Former record holder
In the 21st century, there are buildings that surpass the symbol of America in height and heaviness. However, during the development of the Statue project, its concrete base was the largest and largest concrete structure in the world. Outstanding records soon ceased to be such, but the monument is still associated in the world consciousness with everything majestic and new. 
Twins of the Statue of Liberty
Many copies of the American symbol have been created around the world, among which several dozen can be found in the United States itself. A couple of 9-meter copies can be seen in the vicinity of New York's National Liberty Bank. Another copy, reduced to 3 meters, holding the Bible, adorns the state of California. 
The official twin copy of the monument appeared in the late 80s of the XX century. The Americans presented it to the French people as a token of friendship and gratitude. Today this gift can be seen in Paris on one of the islands of the Seine rivers. The copy is reduced, however, it is able to hit others with an 11-meter height. 
Residents of Tokyo, Budapest, Lvov erected their own copies of the monument.
The authorship of a copy reduced to a minimum belongs to the inhabitants of western Ukraine - the sculptor Mikhail Kolodko and the architect Alexander Bezik. see this masterpiece contemporary art you can in Uzhgorod, in Transcarpathia. The comic sculpture is made of bronze, is only 30 cm high and weighs about 4 kg. Today it symbolizes the desire of the local population for self-expression and is known as the smallest replica in the world. 
Extreme "adventures" of the monument
The Statue of Liberty has gone through a lot in its lifetime. In July 1916, a brutal terrorist attack took place in America. On the island of Liberty located near the island of Black Tom Island, explosions were heard, comparable in strength to an earthquake of about 5.5 points. Their culprits were saboteurs from Germany. During these events, the monument received severe damage to some of its parts. 
In 1983, in front of a large audience, illusionist David Copperfield conducted an unforgettable experiment in the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty. The original focus was a success. The huge statue really disappeared, and the stunned audience tried in vain to find a logical explanation for what they saw. In addition to performing miracles, Copperfield surprised with a ring of light around the Statue of Liberty and another next to it. 
Today, the symbol of the United States still towers majestically in the sky over New York, retains its important global significance and is the pride of the American nation. For America itself and other states, it is associated with the spread of democratic values, freedom and independence throughout the world. Since 1984, the Statue has become part of world heritage UNESCO.
The observation deck in the crown of the Statue of Liberty in New York opens today.
Statue of Liberty (Statue of Liberty), full name "Liberty Enlightening the World" ( Liberty Enlightening the World) - one of the most famous sculptures in the USA and in the world, often called "a symbol of New York and the USA", "a symbol of freedom and democracy", "Lady Liberty".
The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, about 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan, one of the districts of New York. Until 1956, the island was called Bedloe's Island.
The Statue of Liberty is a gift of the French people to the United States in honor of the centenary of US independence and as a token of friendship between the two states.
The idea of creating this symbol came from the French scientist, lawyer and supporter of the abolition of slavery, Edouard de Laboulet, back in the late 1860s. He proceeded from the fact that America and France are bound by old friendly ties. France provided moral and material support to the American struggle for independence - French General Lafayette even became a national hero of the United States. The statue was conceived as a gift for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. With this gift, the French wanted to express their admiration for the great republic on the other side of the Atlantic. The creation of the statue was entrusted to the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. His Statue of Liberty was inspired by Delacroix's famous painting Liberty Leading the People to the Barricades. The internal load-bearing structure of the tower was made by Gustave Eiffel, the future creator of the Eiffel Tower.
Work on the statue was completed in France in July 1884. The statue was built from thin sheets of copper minted in wooden moulds. The formed sheets were then mounted on a steel frame.
In June 1885, the statue was taken to New York Harbor aboard the French frigate Ysere. "Lady Liberty" was transported from France to the United States disassembled - it was divided into 350 parts, packed in 214 boxes. The assembly of the statue on the pedestal took four months.
September 11, 2001 following the terrorist attack on the World Shopping Center The Statue of Liberty and the island were closed to the public.
The inside of the statue has remained closed to the public, but the iron frame created by Gustave Eiffel can be seen through the glass separator.
In May 2009, it was announced that from July 4, 2009, the observation deck in the crown of the Statue of Liberty would be reopened to tourists.
At the very beginning, the statue was not green, it turned green due to atmospheric conditions, the main of which is acid rain.
The torch we see today is not the historic 1886 torch. It was replaced during the reconstruction of 1984 - 1986, as its restoration was considered inappropriate. The original torch was modified quite heavily in 1916. Today, this torch is displayed in a museum located inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
In 1883, the American poet Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet "The New Colossus" dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. 20 years later, in 1903, it was engraved on a bronze plate and attached to the outside of the pedestal. The last lines of the sonnet in Russian translation sound like this: "... Give me your tired people, All those who are thirsty to breathe freely, abandoned in need, From the narrow shores of the persecuted, the poor and orphans, So send them, homeless and exhausted, to me. I raise my torch at the Golden Gate!
With the image of the Statue of Liberty, the following coins were minted: November 11, 1922 - a coin in denomination of 15 cents; June 24, 1954 - a coin of 3 cents; April 9, 1954 - an 8 cent coin and June 11, 1961 - an 11 cent coin.
The New York 25 cent coin, minted in 2001, features the Statue of Liberty with the words "Gateway to Freedom".
But look at another topic roaming the net:
At first glance, everything is known about the Statue of Liberty. It was presented to the United States by the French for the centenary of independence. The monument, created by Frederick Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel, was inaugurated on Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River on October 28, 1886. "Lady Liberty", meeting ships arriving in New York, is very ponderous. It contains 204 tons, of which 90 are copper blocks with which the figure is lined.
It is these 90 tons that have been the subject of heated debate among historians for many years. different countries. It is clear that the supplier of such a huge batch of non-ferrous metal should have made very good money - the cost of copper at that time averaged $2,500 per ton. But the question of who got this money is still open. No documents relating to the purchase of copper have been preserved, and in the memoirs of people involved in the creation of the Statue of Liberty, the topic of the origin of the metal is strangely hushed up.
Some historical background:
The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. A deadline was set - by 1876 it was necessary to complete the monument, timed to coincide with the centenary of the US Declaration of Independence. It is believed that this is a joint Franco-American project. 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 the start of construction, it became clear that much more funds were needed than originally planned. On both sides of the ocean, a large-scale fundraising campaign, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events were initiated. When calculating the design parameters of a huge statue of Bartholdi, the help of an experienced engineer was required. Alexandre Gustav Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, personally designed the strong iron support and frame that allows the statue's copper shell to move freely while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.
Americans were reluctant to part with funds, because there were difficulties in collecting the required amount, so Joseph Pulitzer wrote a series of articles on the pages of his World newspaper, addressing representatives of the upper and middle classes and urging them to allocate money for a good cause. Criticism was extremely harsh, and it had an effect
By August 1885, the United States managed to raise the required amount, by which 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 Ysere in 214 boxes. For 4 months, all parts of the monument were assembled, and with a huge gathering of people, on October 26, 1886, the opening ceremony of the legendary monument took place. It so happened that the gift for the 100th anniversary was 10 years late. It is worth noting that the hand with the torch was collected even earlier and was even exhibited at an exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.
Now back to the material:
They tried to solve the riddle by comparing the lining material with samples taken from the largest mines in the world. The experiment made even more confusion, versions grew like mushrooms after rain. Copper samples similar in composition of impurities were found in the English mines in Swansea, in the German Mansfield and in the Spanish mining region of Huelva. Norwegian scientists have little doubt that Bartholdi purchased 90 tons of copper from the Visnes mine, which was developed in the 1870s on Karmoy Island in the North Sea. At the same time, the company that owns this mine was managed by a Frenchman and was headquartered in Paris. The Norwegians were so eager to consider themselves "suppliers of building material for the American Liberty" that they ordered spectrographic analysis from Bell Laboratories. His results showed that the copper from the North Sea was very similar to that of the statue, but not identical. And this gives a chance to develop another theory about the origin of the metal - this time Russian.
Nizhny Tagil, Copper mine. fox mountain
From the Urals to Paris
Miniakhmet Mutalov, a Bashkir scientist, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, and employees of the Vysokogorsky mining and processing plant have no doubt that copper for Lady Liberty was purchased from the Demidov industrialists, who owned the Nizhny Tagil mines. True, they are guided by their experience in mining, and not by the results of research from American laboratories. Nevertheless, one cannot but agree with them that in the 1870s, Russian copper was indeed very popular in the West, where it was called "Old Sable". The Demidov mines undoubtedly could provide the required volume of production. In 1814, a huge copper quarry was opened on Mount Vyiskaya near Nizhny Tagil, and by 1850 copper production there reached 10,000 tons per year. By comparison, the Norwegian mine - the number one candidate - then produced only 3,000 tons.
Nizhny Tagil copper was sold mainly in the markets Western Europe, despite the fact that the mine was very far from the consumer. In 1851, at the first World Exhibition in London, she received three bronze medals, and in 1867, the Demidovs won first place at the Paris Exhibition.
In France, they heard about the successes of Russian miners before. French specialists often came to the Urals to study. In the Nizhny Tagil archives for the 19th century, hundreds of contracts with foreigners who were hired by the Demidovs have been preserved. They employed 42 foreigners - British, Swiss, Germans, Belgians, Italians and 14 French. The personal consultant of the industrialists was a mining engineer from France Leple, and his compatriot by the name of Bokar worked as the administrator of the Nizhny Tagil plant. Such close cooperation greatly contributed to the establishment of channels for the supply of metal to a Western buyer.
Secret signs
Conspiracy sources also testify in favor of the version about the Russian origin of the Statue of Liberty. It is known that Bartholdi and Eiffel were members of the French Masonic lodge, and it was the “freemasons” who helped them raise 3.5 million francs for the manufacture of the statue. The construction of the pedestal was financed by the Masonic Lodge of New York. Media mogul Joseph Pulitzer donated about $100,000 to the monument, with the condition that a note with his name and the words "Russian emigrant and Jew" be placed at the base of the monument. At the same time, according to official data, he was born in Hungary and it was from there that he moved to the United States.
It is known that French and American Freemasons maintained rather close relations, including those of a business nature, with Russian "freemasons". And the Demidovs occupied a very high position in the Masonic hierarchy of Russia. After the uprising of the Decembrists, the emperor banned Masonic lodges, and they had to go underground. "Freemasons" from the capital's aristocracy and the bourgeoisie hastily got rid of images of compasses, trowels and pyramids on clothes, carriages and facades of houses. The Demidovs were the only ones who continued to openly display Masonic symbols - a silver hammer and a tool that looked like a trowel were depicted on their family coat of arms.
Pavel Pavlovich Demidov, who in the 1870s headed the complex of Nizhny Tagil enterprises, spent his youth in Paris. In the mid-1860s, after graduating from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, he continued his education under the guidance of a well-known scientist, publicist, political figure and ... Freemason Edward Rene de Laboulet. At the same time, the young, promising sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was sculpting a bust of his idolized Laboulet.
On one of the summer days of 1865, the flower of French Freemasonry gathered in Laboulet's house: Oscar and Edmund Lafayette, grandchildren of the Marquis Lafayette - the Masonic brother of George Washington, historian Henry Martin and, of course, Bartholdi. Edouard Rene shared an idea with his friends: what a beautiful gesture on the part of the French Republicans it would be to give the Americans a memorial symbolizing freedom as a token of their friendship! Contemporaries called Laboulet "the main admirer of America in France", among other things, the gift was supposed to emphasize the contrast between American democracy and repressive political methods of the Second Empire. For the 31-year-old Bartholdi, who did not hesitate to pick up the idea of an older comrade, this was a chance to show his talent to the whole world.
It wasn't built right away.
The implementation of the idea had to wait until the end of the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871, Laboulet invited Bartholdi to go to America and do everything necessary so that the monument was opened on July 4, 1876 - the centennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Without money and a sketch of the monument, but with a heap letters of recommendation to the American brothers, the sculptor sailed to America. The idea of the statue appeared in his head when he was already sailing to New York - Frederick quickly made a sketch.
Three years later, Bartholdi returned to France, where he established the Franco-American Union to raise funds for the construction of the monument "Liberty that illuminates the world." Soon he began work on its creation together with the Parisian company Gaget, Gauthier & Cie.
The sculptor wrote off the face of "Freedom" from his mother. First, he made a four-foot clay model, then a nine-foot plaster model, then he began to proportionally increase each of its parts by nine times ... But the deadlines were delayed due to a constant lack of funds.
Although more than 100,000 French people donated to the monument, the Masons managed to raise the necessary money only by 1880. Probably, the missing amount was presented to them by the Americans. It was not for nothing that Bartholdi invited United States Secretary of the Treasury Levi P. Morton to install the first piece of copper cladding on the big toe of the statue's left foot. On July 4, 1884, two months after the completion of the work, the monument was officially presented to the US Ambassador to Paris, Levi Morton. For another two years, Lady Liberty stood in Paris, waiting for a pedestal to be built for her in Hudson Bay.
On August 5, 1884, in the pouring rain, which forced the cancellation of the Masonic parade (there would still not be enough space for it on a tiny island), the ceremony of laying the first stone in the pedestal of the statue was held. Then under it was that famous “box with a secret”, in which, in addition to the names of the Masonic presidents and Pulitzer’s strange statement about his Russian roots, they say, the names of all the people who took part in the creation of “Lady Liberty” are indicated, but for some reason reasons for not admitting it.
In June 1885, disassembled and packed in 214 containers, the statue arrived in New York. It took another 15 months to collect it, and finally, on October 28, 1886, a gift from France appeared before the Americans in all its glory. The opening ceremony of the monument was presided over by the President of the United States Freemason Grover Cleveland. The monument was consecrated by the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of New York, Henry Potter, also a member of the Freemasons lodge. Grand Master Senator Chauncey M. Depew delivered the commencement speech.
And only Russian Freemasons could not openly announce their participation in the construction of the monument - most likely, they would not have been praised for this in their homeland. Perhaps that is why all the documents evidencing the sale of 90 tons of Russian copper to France were carefully destroyed.
Marriage of convenience
In general, the policy of the Russian tsars in relation to lodges was not consistent. So, while pursuing "free masons" in his country, Alexander III nevertheless actively collaborated with the French Masons. The desire not to get involved in international adventures and wars pushed him to rapprochement with Paris, where at that time the lodges ruled the ball. The sovereign had no choice - Great Britain encroached on Russian territories, Prussia was too aggressive. Alexander had to accept the foreign policy line for rapprochement with France, which was offered to him by Foreign Minister Girs.
Alexander only benefited from cooperation with Masonic France - huge investments flowed into the country. In 1888, Gosquier, an emissary of French banks, arrived in St. Petersburg for negotiations with Finance Minister Ivan Vyshnegradsky, who later began to manage the capitals of all members of the royal family. In November 1888, a decree was issued to issue a Russian gold four percent loan.
Initially, its amount was only 500 million francs. But already in February of the following year, Alexander ordered the issue of a consolidated loan of the first series in the amount of 175 million rubles for the conversion of five percent bonds of numerous railway loans of the 1870s. The French, who saw Russia as a guarantor of protection against the Prussian threat, actively subscribed to it, and thereby stimulated St. Petersburg to expand business contacts.
The deal went through, and already in April, the so-called loan of consolidated Russian bonds of the second series appeared, in the amount of 310.5 million rubles. It was released in conjunction with the Rothschild bank and was also a huge success. After that, the French began the actual "economic occupation" of Russia. They invested in the construction of railways and factories, cut down mines and erected oil rigs. This continued almost until the outbreak of the First World War.
Perhaps if Russia and France had made friends a little earlier, the sale of copper for the ambitious Bartholdi project would not have had to be hidden. But now the historical truth is no longer so important, all the same, the statue remained in history not as a Masonic symbol, but as a talisman of emigrants coming to New World in search of a new life.
But look at another example from history, like one person, but with. Yes, and if you remember something about major transactions, for example The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -
The most famous symbol of America is the sculpture "Liberty Enlightening the World". Many are aware that it was a gift from France, but few people know which country else participated in its creation, albeit indirectly.
Also from the article it will be possible to learn about some interesting facts related to the construction, installation and operation of the statue. And also you will know the names of those who made a lot of effort to create a monument.
What was the gift for?
It is known who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But what was this gift dedicated to? In 1876, France decided to present a present for the centenary of US independence. It took years to raise funds for this idea. The French and Americans took part in this. But while the statue was erected, several years had passed, and the anniversary of independence had already passed.
"Lady Liberty" holds a tablet in her hand, on which the date of signing is written in Latin, namely "July 4, 1776". In 1883, Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New Colossus" was dedicated to the statue. Lines from it were engraved on a plate in 1903 and attached to the pedestal of the sculpture.
History of creation
The story began with the decision of France to entrust this work to the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Further, the countries agreed that the pedestal would be built by American forces, and the sculpture - at the expense of the French. Who else was involved in the creation of the gift?
For your attention - a list of those who gave America the Statue of Liberty:
- Frédéric Bartholdi designed the exterior and gave his wishes on where the Lady Liberty could best be placed;
- and his assistant Maurice Koechlin created drawings of a massive steel support and supporting frame;
- Richard Morris designed the pedestal for the sculpture;
- US General William Sherman chose the site for the statue;
- Ulysses Grant is the President of the United States who supported the idea of creating a symbol of Freedom.
The sculpture was completed in 1884. She was delivered disassembled on the frigate Ysere to New York Harbor a year later. It took more than two hundred boxes to do this. The assembly took four months, and the official opening took place on 10/28/1886. Despite the fact that the gift was ten years late for the centenary, many honored guests gathered for its opening, including US President Grover Cleveland. If it were not for such a belated opening of the monument, then the people of America heard a congratulatory speech from which 07/04/1976 still held this post.
Russian trace
In addition to the French and Americans, according to some sources, Russians are also involved in sculpture. The copper sheets with which it was covered were purchased in Russia. They were made at the Nizhny Tagil plant. However, many researchers have already been able to refute this fact. The fact is that in those days there had not yet been laid in Nizhny Tagil Railway. The researchers concluded that the copper was brought from Norway, although there is no documentary evidence for this.
Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? Regardless of whether there was a Russian or Norwegian trace in this, it was the French people who initiated and created the symbol of freedom.
Selecting a location for installation
Where is the Statue of Liberty today? As at the time of its installation, it is located on an island three kilometers southwest of Manhattan (its southern part), in New York. Before the appearance of the statue, it was called Bedloe's Island. After the installation of a French gift on it, the people began to call it the island of Liberty. In 1956 it was officially renamed.
Use of the statue
For the entire period of its existence, the well-known symbol of America was not just an architectural monument. Initially, it was planned to be used as a lighthouse. Practice has shown that the lamps in the torch were weak and inefficient. From the unit that managed the lighthouses, the figure was transferred to the military department, and later to the service that dealt with national parks.
By 1924, the exhibit became a US National Monument, and was later included in the UNESCO list.
How has the Statue of Liberty been used over the years? She had the following incarnations:
- lighthouse;
- museum;
- viewpoint.
During the entire existence of the figure, it was repaired many times, but the most global work was carried out in 1938 and 1984.
The reader already knows who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But few people know that the sculpture depicts ancient Greek (some historians agree on this). This goddess was the mistress of hell, and the torch was used by her in underworld. In addition, she was considered the patroness of witchcraft, insanity, madness, obsession. Hecate was depicted with horns on her head, but they can be seen at the statue in the form of rays of light. Although it is believed that in fact Bartholdi embodied the image of the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.
The right hand holding the torch crossed Atlantic Ocean three times. It was first transported in 1884 to Philadelphia for the World's Fair, after which it was returned back. The third time the hand swam across the ocean with all the other parts of the statue.
After the events of September 11, 2001, access to the island and the symbol of America was closed. By 2012, access was fully open, up to the crown. You can go up the stairs or take the elevator. To reach the crown, you need to go through 356 steps. On the observation deck 25 windows were created that offer a view of the harbor.
There are many smaller copies in the world. For example, in Paris, Tokyo, and more than two hundred copies are in America itself.
It is believed that the number of rays on the crown symbolize the seven continents, according to Western geographical tradition.
By 1886, the torch was badly damaged by corrosion and it was replaced with a new one, which was covered with 24-carat gold.
