2012 is the 126th year of the ‘Lady of Liberty’
standing proud in New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty was not created in
America, but she still continues to be the one symbol that people hold to be
synonymous with the great nation. She was a gift to the United States of
America given by the people of France.
Construction on the present day National Monument
began in the year 1875. The official title given to the work was ‘Liberty
Enlightening the World’. The sculptor was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and the
structural engineer was Gustave Eiffel. The structure reached completion in the
year 1884, in the month of June; and on the 4th of July, the same year, it was
presented to the people of America by the people of France. The statue,
however, was still in France. Only in early 1885 was it dismantled and sent off
to American shores. The ship used for the transport was the French frigate
‘Isere’. It was broken down into 350 pieces and shipped; the number of crates
used for which came up to 214.
This gorgeous piece of work is a towering 151 feet
tall; and weighs around 225 tons (4,50,000 pounds). The statue is used making
steel and copper. The weight of steel used is around 125 tons (2,50,000 pounds)
and that of copper is around 100 tons (2,00,000 pounds).
There are 354 steps on the inside, that lead you up to
her crown, where you have 25 viewing windows (within the crown). There are
seven rays on her crown, which are symbolic of the seven seas and the seven
continents. In her left hand, she holds a tablet which reads ‘July 4, 1776′ in
Roman Numerals.
