The Three Statues Of Liberties: Did You Think There Was Only One?

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a goodwill gift from the people of France to the people of the United States and is acknowledged as a global symbol of freedom and democracy.

October 28, 1886, was the day on which the statue was erected.  In 1924, it was declared a National Monument. Since 1933, National Park Service employees have cared for the massive copper monument.

Hundreds of copies of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) have been built across the world. The original Statue of Liberty stands 151 feet tall apart from its 154 ft (46.6 m) pedestal, bringing the total height of the sculpture to 305 ft (92.4 m).

After reading about the Statue of Liberty in France and New York, check out the 1st ticker-tape parade and 103-floor Empire state-building facts.

Fun Facts About The 'Original' Statue Of Liberty

Here are some fascinating fun facts about the original Statue of Liberty which you will undoubtedly find enjoyable:

The original Statue of Liberty could have been a Woman from Egypt:

Many history experts believe that the completed Statue of the Woman holding a torch in a raised hand and a tablet in the other hand drew its inspiration from the Roman female god of liberty, Libertas. The French sculptor dedicated the inspiration to giant sculptures located around Nubian tombs.

This created a yearning and interest in huge public monuments. While submitting a proposal for construction of the Suez Calan, the French sculptor created a massive statue of a woman who represented Egypt towards the end of the canal.

A sample of the statue was made and known as Egypt Carrying Light to Asia.

But increasing costs meant that the statue could not be constructed, but the sculptor decided to use the design ideas somewhere else. This is believed to have become the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty located the New York City.

She has fragile skin:

The outer layer of the Statue of Liberty in New York City is extremely thin copper. This layer is only as thin as two pennies placed next to each other. The sea green color is attributed to the fact that it is located near water which has exposed the statue to a lot of moisture, which results in rust.

She sways in the breeze:

Gustave Eiffel, best known for the iron tower that bears his name designed the statue's unusual skeleton. Iron construction was cutting-edge at the time, capable of moving in the wind without cracking or bending. Lady Liberty may swing up to three inches in either direction during high gusts, and her torch can wobble up to five inches.

Each component has a symbolic meaning:

The book she carries has the date of our Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776), and the seven points of her crown represent the seven oceans, seven continents, and the sun's beams.

She's on her way:

Lady Liberty, although being a statue, is not immobile. Her right leg is in the middle of a stride, and her right foot is about to leave the ground.

She marches onward, towards the horizon, always pointing the way and illuminating the path to independence and freedom. This is mentioned by Dave Eggers in his fantastic novel, Her Right Foot.

She was almost a talking statue:

The inventor of the light bulb, Thomas Edison, once considered installing a giant gramophone inside the Statue of Liberty to allow her to "talk." Ultimately, the concept was dismissed.

Facts About The Statue Of Liberty In Paris

The Statue was finished in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor on the French frigate "Isere" on June 17, 1885.

The statue was disassembled into 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates during transportation. When the statue's fragments arrived in America, it took four months to reassemble all of the pieces.

President Grover Cleveland' watched the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of onlookers on October 28, 1886, in the New York harbor.

During the 1986 repair, the new torch was meticulously coated with thin sheets of 24k gold.

The statue's left hand holds a tablet 23' 7" tall and 13' 7" broad etched with the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776)

Fun Facts About Auguste Bartholdi

Date and Place of Birth:

He was born on August 2, 1834, in Colmar, France, also known as the Little Venice, and is present on the country's southern border shared with Germany.

Serving in the National Guard:

The famous sculptor had to postpone his plans to create the statue to join the National Guard during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. He served under General Giuseppe Garibaldi as an official representative of the government of France.

Once constructed a statue that was too big for the entrance:

When the Universal Exposition was held in Paris in 1855, the sculptor had the idea of erecting a statue for French commander Jean Rapp. As the opening day approached, his art proved to be too big to enter the venue's doors.

It had to be placed outdoors, drawing a lot of attention from visitors. This statue is still present in France.

In Egypt, he discovered his affinity for large-scale monuments:

After viewing the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza, Bartholdi fell in love with large-scale public structures and massive sculptures. When the Egyptian authorities expressed interest in having him build a lighthouse for the Suez Canal, he jumped at the chance, creating an enormous statue of a robed lady holding a flame.

However, after witnessing the canal's inauguration, Bartholdi was informed that he would be unable to proceed with the project.

Visited America for Statue of Liberty:

In 1871, Bartholdi embarked on his first journey to the USA. As he approached New York City, he envisioned erecting a massive statue to greet visitors as they arrived.

He then started creating a statue of a female that had a huge crown around her head. He made the crown with rays and ensured that the lady Liberty held a torch in a raised hand and the tablet in the other hand.

Before the event, the torch was sent to the USA:

The construction of the torch and the upper arm had been completed by the year 1876. Thus, the sculptor brought these two to an exposition organized in Philadelphia. Visitors had permission to observe these pieces. More than 10 million visitors saw these pieces, and they were moved to Madison Square Park to raise the necessary funds.

Significance Of The Statue Of Liberty

The torch represents enlightenment. The flame of the Statue of Liberty illuminates the path to liberty, pointing us in the right direction in the world.

The Statue's official name reflects her most important emblem, "Liberty Enlightening the World." The current replacement torch for the Statue, installed in 1986, is a copper flame encased in 24K gold.

It reflects the sun's rays during the day and is illuminated by 16 floodlights at night. The original torch was taken in 1984 and is now displayed in the monument's foyer.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for three statues of liberties, then why not take a look at Alabama history facts or Alcatraz facts.