The+Statue+of+Liberty++-++Andreiescu+Raul


 * //The Statue of Liberty//** **//Liberty !!!!!!!!!! Enlightening the World// ([|French]: //La liberté éclairant le monde//), known more commonly as the //Statue of Liberty// (//Statue de la Liberté//), is a large statue that was presented to the [|United States] by [|France] in 1886. It stands at [|Liberty Island] (owned by [|New York] but physically on the [|New Jersey] side of the [|New York Harbor]) as a welcome to all visitors, [|immigrants], and returning Americans. The [|copper] [|patina]-clad [|statue], dedicated on [|October 28], [|1886], commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship from France to America. [|Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi] sculpted the statue and obtained a [|U.S. patent] useful for raising construction funds through the sale of miniatures. [|Alexandre Gustave Eiffel] (designer of the [|Eiffel Tower]) engineered the internal structure. [|Eugène Viollet-le-Duc] was responsible for the choice of [|copper] in the statue's construction and adoption of the [|repoussé] technique.**

The general appearance of the statue’s head approximates the Greek Sun-god [|Apollo] or [|Helios] as preserved on an ancient marble tablet (today in the Archaeological Museum of [|Corinth] ([|Corinth], [|Greece]) - [|Apollo] was represented as a [|solar deity], dressed in a similar robe and having on its head a "radiate crown" with the seven spiked rays of the [|Helios]-[|Apollo]'s sun rays, like the Statue's nimbus or [|halo]. The ancient [|Colossus of Rhodes], one of the [|Seven Wonders of the Ancient World], was a statue of Helios with a radiate crown, which is referred to in the 1903 poem //[|The New Colossus]// by [|Emma Lazarus]. The statue, also known as "Lady Liberty," has been a symbol of welcome to arriving immigrants, who could see the statue when they got close to arriving at their new home or destination. There is a version of the statue in France given by the US. The general appearance of the statue’s head approximates the Greek Sun-god [|Apollo] or [|Helios] as preserved on an ancient marble tablet (today in the Archaeological Museum of [|Corinth] ([|Corinth], [|Greece]) - [|Apollo] was represented as a [|solar deity], dressed in a similar robe and having on its head a "radiate crown" with the seven spiked rays of the [|Helios]-[|Apollo]'s sun rays, like the Statue's nimbus or [|halo]. The ancient [|Colossus of Rhodes], one of the [|Seven Wonders of the Ancient World], was a statue of Helios with a radiate crown, which is referred to in the 1903 poem //[|The New Colossus]// by [|Emma Lazarus]. The statue, also known as "Lady Liberty," has been a symbol of welcome to arriving immigrants, who could see the statue when they got close to arriving at their new home or destination. There is a version of the statue in France given by the US. Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States,[|[2]] and, more generally, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The Statue of Liberty was, from 1886 until the [|jet age], often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe. Visually, the Statue of Liberty appears to draw inspiration from [|il Sancarlone] or the [|Colossus of Rhodes].**
 * The Statue of Liberty's [|classical] appearance (Roman [|stola], sandals, facial expression) derives from [|Libertas], ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her raised right foot is on the move. This symbol of Liberty and Freedom is not standing still or at attention in the harbor, she is moving forward, as her left foot tramples broken [|shackles] at her feet, in symbolism of the United States's wish to be free from oppression and tyranny.[|[3]] The seven spikes on the crown represent the [|Seven Seas] and [|seven continents].[|[4]] Her torch signifies [|enlightenment]. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the nation's birth, July 4, 1776.
 * The Statue of Liberty**

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds. Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate. Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.**
 * The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.

On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty.** The first model, on a small scale, was built in 1870. This first statue is now in the [|Jardin du Luxembourg] in [|Paris]. While on a visit to [|Egypt] that was to shift his artistic perspective from simply grand to colossal, Bartholdi was inspired by the project of the [|Suez Canal] which was being undertaken by Count [|Ferdinand de Lesseps], who later became a lifelong friend of his. He envisioned a giant lighthouse standing at the entrance to the canal and drew plans for it. It would be patterned after the Roman goddess [|Libertas], modified to resemble a robed Egyptian peasant, a fallaha, with light beaming out from both a headband and a torch thrust dramatically upward into the skies. Bartholdi presented his plans to the Egyptian Khediev, [|Isma'il Pasha], in 1867 and, with revisions, again in 1869, but the project was never commissioned because of financial issues the country was going through.[|[5]] It was agreed upon that in a joint effort the American people were to build the base, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly in the United States. In France, public donations, various forms of entertainment including notably performances of //La liberté éclairant le monde// (Liberty enlightening the world) by soon-to-be famous composer [|Charles Gounod] at [|Paris Opera], and a charitable lottery were among the methods used to raise the 2,250,000 [|francs] ($250,000). In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and [|prize fights] assisted in providing needed funds.
 * The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change. The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of 1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After 1901, the care and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Frederic_Auguste_Bartholdi1898.jpg/140px-Frederic_Auguste_Bartholdi1898.jpg width="140" height="179" caption="Frédéric Bartholdi." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Frederic_Auguste_Bartholdi1898.jpg"]][[image:http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png width="15" height="11" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Frederic_Auguste_Bartholdi1898.jpg"]][|Frédéric Bartholdi].

On [|June 30], [|1878], at the [|Paris Exposition], the completed head of the statue was showcased in the garden of the [|Trocadéro] palace, while other pieces were on display in the Champs de Mars. Back in America, the site, authorized in New York Harbor by an act of Congress, 1877, was selected by General [|William Tecumseh Sherman], who settled on Bartholdi's own choice, then known as Bedloe's Island (named after [|Isaac Bedloe]), where there was already an early 19th century star-shaped fortification named [|Fort Wood]. [|United States Minister to France] [|Levi P. Morton] hammered the first nail in the construction of the statue. Bartholdi's design patent. On [|February 18], [|1879], Bartholdi was granted a [|design patent], [|U.S. Patent D11,023], on "a statue representing Liberty enlightening the world, the same consisting, essentially, of the draped female figure, with one arm upraised, bearing a torch, and while the other holds an inscribed tablet, and having upon the head a diadem, substantially as set forth." The patent described the head as having "classical, yet severe and calm, features," noted that the body is "thrown slightly over to the left so as to gravitate upon the left leg, the whole figure thus being in equilibrium," and covered representations in "any manner known to the glyptic art in the form of a statue or statuette, or in alto-relievo or bass-relief, in metal, stone, terra-cotta, plaster-of-paris, or other plastic composition."[|[6]] The financing for the statue was completed in [|France] in July 1882. Fund-raising for the pedestal, led by [|William M. Evarts], was going slowly, so [|Hungarian-born] publisher [|Joseph Pulitzer] (who established the [|Pulitzer Prize]) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, //The World,// to support the fund raising effort in 1883. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich, who had failed to finance the pedestal construction, and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds.[|[7]] Pulitzer's campaign was an important contribution to the effort, but ultimately Senator Evarts and the American Committee he headed raised the majority of funds for the pedestal. The construction of the statue was completed in [|France] in July 1884. The cornerstone of the pedestal, designed by American architect [|Richard Morris Hunt], was laid on [|August 5], [|1884], but the construction had to be stopped by lack of funds in January 1885. It was resumed on [|May 11], [|1885] after a renewed fund campaign by Joseph Pulitzer in March 1885. Thirty-eight of the forty-six courses of masonry were yet to be built.**

In 1913 a group of young pilots graduated from the Moissant School of Aviation based on Long Island. One of the graduates, the Mexican pilot [|Juan Pablo Aldasoro] was selected to perform the first flight above the Statue of Liberty. All of the graduates later on became members of the [|Early Birds of Aviation]. Political cartoon of the [|First Red Scare] depicting a monstrous "European [|Anarchist]" attempting to destroy the Statue of Liberty. In 1916, [|floodlights] were placed around the base of the statue. Also in 1916, the [|Black Tom explosion] caused $100,000 worth of damage ($1.9 million in 2007 dollars) to the statue, embedding shrapnel and eventually leading to the closing of the torch to visitors. The same year, [|Gutzon Borglum], sculptor of [|Mount Rushmore], modified the original copper torch by cutting away most of the copper in the flame, retrofitting glass panes and installing an internal light.[|[11]] After these modifications, the torch severely leaked rainwater and snowmelt, accelerating corrosion inside the statue. President [|Franklin D. Roosevelt] rededicated the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary ([|October 28], [|1936]). In 1956, through an act of Congress, Bedloe's Island was officially renamed Liberty Island, though Liberty Island had been used informally since the turn of the century. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, Statue of Liberty National Monument, along with Ellis Island and Liberty Island, was listed on the [|National Register of Historic Places] on [|October 15], [|1966].[|[12]]** In 2007, the Statue of Liberty was one of 20 finalists in a competition to name the [|New Seven Wonders of the World].Statue of Liberty Commentary** "Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds. Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. [|Alexandre Gustave Eiffel] (designer of the [|Eiffel Tower]) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate. "Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was**
 * The Statue of Liberty functioned as a [|lighthouse] from 1886 to 1902.[|[9]][|[10]] At that time the U.S. Lighthouse board was responsible for its operation. There was a lighthouse keeper and the electric light could be seen for 24 miles (39 km) at sea. There was an electric plant on the island to generate power for the light.
 * In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was added to the list of [|World Heritage Sites].[|[13]]
 * "The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.
 * completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.**

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Statue of Liberty Wallpaper for download to your computer desktop.



This shot was taken in my studio in London in the 80s.

//Designed by Brother Frederic A. Bartholdi//**