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The Statue of Liberty. She is an icon, a national treasure, and one of the most recognizable figures in the world. Each year millions who cherish her ideals make the journey to experience her history and grandeur in person. She is the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, inspiration, and hope.
Sep 21, 2016 · Liberty Island has been represented as a unique place by many different groups, including Native Americans, early colonists and the United States Army. How has the meaning of the Statue of Liberty evolved since its dedication in 1886? Explore themes like The French Connection and Popular Culture. » People.
May 2, 2023 · May 2, 2023 • By Rosie Lesso, MA Contemporary Art Theory, BA Fine Art. The Statue of Liberty is recognized around the world as the universal symbol of freedom, liberty and progress, as outlined in the statue’s formal name: “La liberte eclairant le monde”, or “Liberty enlightening the world.”.
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It took grassroots efforts to raise the funds and ultimately build the colossal monument in New York Harbor that has come to symbolize freedom around the world.
The Statue of Liberty, which towers 305 feet, six inches over New York Harbor, is one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of America. It has inspired countless souvenir replicas and been referenced in everything from posters for war bonds to the final scene of the 1968 movie “Planet of the Apes,” in which an astronaut who returns to Earth in the distant future discovers it partially buried in sand.
But the statue that’s known across the planet went through an odd, serendipitous journey to iconic status. It was conceived by a French sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, who had never even been to the United States before arriving in 1871 in hopes of convincing Americans to support his dream of building a monumental statue.
Statue of Liberty
His design for the Statue of Liberty borrowed from an earlier idea he’d had for a colossal woman bearing a lantern at the entrance of the Suez Canal. The proposed figure he called “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was a woman wearing a crown of rays and holding a torch aloft in one hand and a tablet in the other. He originally scouted Central Park as a possible location, before settling upon what was then Bedloe’s Island.
Bartholdi traveled across the United States from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles to promote his idea, but when he wasn’t able to secure government support, he went back to France and started working with his friend Edouard de Laboulaye, who for years had wanted to build a French-American monument.
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The Statue of Liberty is one of our nation's most enduring symbols and is well represented in the collections with art, posters, stamps, memorabilia, and more. Take a closer look at our Statue of Liberty Hanukkah lamp and the Immokalee Statue of Liberty at our National Museum of American History.
Jul 14, 2021 · 14 Jul 2021. Image Credit: TZIDO SUN/Shutterstock.com. About Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty, short for ‘Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World’, is an iconic copper and steel statue at the entrance of New York Harbour. An enduring symbol of freedom and independence, ‘Lady Liberty’ is one of the most well-known landmarks on earth.
- Lily Johnson
Statue of Liberty Officially unveiled in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States honoring the 100th anniversary of US independence, the historic French-American alliance, and a shared quest for liberty.
