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 years, the monument was recognized as not only the embodiment of friendship between the two peoples (which has moved far to the background), but also a symbol of freedom of the American people, a symbol of the United States and new York in General
The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. Was installed by 1876 it was necessary to complete the monument in time for the centenary of the Declaration of independence. It is believed that this is a joint Franco-American project. Above the pedestal worked for the Americans, and the statue was created in France. In new York, all part of the statue of Liberty was assembled in a single unit
After construction began, it became clear that need more funds than originally planned. On both sides of the ocean have been initiated by the large-scale campaign fundraising, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events. When calculating the design parameters of the immense statue Bartholdi required the assistance of an experienced engineer. Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the Creator of the Eiffel tower, has personally developed the design and sturdy steel support frame, which allows the copper shell of the statue to move freely, while maintaining the balance of the monument.
On photo Alexander Gustave Eiffel
Americans are reluctant to part with funds, because there were difficulties with the collection of the required amount, so Joseph Pulitzer in the pages of his newspaper "world" has written a number of articles, addressing the representatives of the upper and middle classes and encouraging them to allocate money for a good cause. The criticism was extremely harsh, and this had the effect of
By August of 1885, happened in the United States to collect the necessary sum, by the time the French have finished their part and brought parts of the statue in new York. The statue of Liberty was divided into 350 pieces and transported to the frigate "Isere" in 214 crates. For 4 months all parts of the monument were collected, and with a huge crowd people, October 26, 1886, took place the opening ceremony of the iconic monument. It so happened that a gift for the 100th anniversary was late for 10 years. It should be noted that the arm with the torch had been collected earlier, and was even exhibited at the exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876
The story of the statue of Liberty, as well as where it is built — is closely connected with the history of the United States. The monument was placed on a pedestal inside Fort wood, which was built specially for the war of 1812 in the shape of a star. The first few decades of the complex were served by the beacon service, and only in 1924 it became a National monument. And in 1937 the area of the monument expanded to the borders of the whole island Bedlow, in 1956, renaming it the island of Freedom
In 1982 was carried out restoration of the monument. President Ronald Reagan personally oversaw this process, appointed Manager of Iacocca. Again was initiated fundraising and collected $ 87 million. The money in this time managed to gather in quite a short time that became the most successful example of cooperation between the state and the private sector in the history of the United States. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was included among the monuments of world importance. 5 July 1986, in honor of the centennial of the monument, the complex was opened to public again, this time managed to catch it without delay for 10 years
Ronald Reagan
To the top of the statue are 354 steps and to the top of the podium — 192. Arranged in the crown 25 Windows, symbolizing gemstones of Earth and the rays of the sun illuminating the world. The seven rays on the statue's crown symbolize the 7 seas and 7 continents. The label, which the statue holds in her left hand, it is written: "July 4, 1776." For casting the statue was used 31 tons of copper, and the total weight of the steel structure made of 125 tonnes. Weight of cement basis — 27 thousand tons, and the thickness of the copper coating of the statue — 2,37 mm
After September 11, 2001, the statue and island were closed due to terrorist threats, but in 2009 the tour was resumed. You can climb on the statue and her crown and the torch is still closed. All visitors strip searched in order to avoid a terrorist act
An interesting fact is also that wind speeds of 100 km/h causes a swinging of the monument to 7.62 cm, while the torch will swing by 12.7 cm During a solemn speech at the opening ceremony of the statue October 28, 1886 President Grover Cleveland made the following statement:
"We will always remember that Freedom has chosen this place as their home, and the altar it will never cover oblivion".
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