Statue of Liberty Is One

Statue of Liberty is one of the United States' most beloved and recognized symbols. Designed to commemorate the American Declaration of Independence, the Statue has a unique and interesting history. This short paper will describe the Statue's historical significance, and outline the Statue's architectural style, construction, and materials.

In 1876, sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. As a joint effort between America and France, the sculpture was to be largely built in France, and assembled in United States (Statue of Liberty.org).

During building stages, a lack of funding impacted the creation of the sculpture. In France, a lottery, and public fees were used to help raise funds for the statue. Art exhibitions, theatrical events, prize fights, and auctions raised funds for the statue within the United States. American Joseph Pulitzer also used the editorial pages of his newspaper to solicit funding among the American middle class (Statue of Liberty.org).

The pedestal for the Statue of Liberty National Monument was built within the United States. Financing was completed in August of 1885, and construction was completed in April of 1886 (Statue of Liberty.org). In its early years, the statue was used as a lighthouse (Glass and Steel and Stone).

In France, the statue was completed in July of 1884. The statue arrived injured of 1884 in New York Harbor on the French frigate Isere. The statue was packed in 214 crates, in 350 individual pieces. Upon arrival in the United States, the statue was reassembled in four months. The dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place on October 28, 1886, in front of a crowd of thousands (Statue of Liberty.org). The statue itself is located on what is now called Liberty Island (Glass and Steel and Stone).

Over the years, the care and responsibility for the statue has been assumed by several groups. Initially, United States Lighthouse Board was responsible for the statue until 1901. At this time, the War Department assumed responsibility. In 1993, the National Parks Service took over administration and care of the money but. In 1982, Lee Iacocca was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to fundraising $87 million for restoration of the statue. In 1986, a newly restored statue was reopened to the public (Statue of Liberty.org).

The events of September 11, 2001 saw the Statue of Liberty closed to the public for reasons of safety and security. The sector reopened on August 3, 2004 for public admission (Statue of Liberty.org).

Architectural Style

The architectural style of the Statue of Liberty was influenced by centuries-old Egyptian statues. It is in the statues, that sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi noted that the treatment of a colossal statue such as the Statue of Liberty "must be entirely different from that of heroic, life-size, or smaller sculpture" (Corrosion Doctors).

The construction of the Statue of Liberty was beset with a number of difficult engineering problems. Importance among these were the practical considerations of how the statue would withstand the strong winds off New York Bay, and how it would support 100 tons of copperplate on its 151-foot frame (Corrosion Doctors).

In answer to these challenges, engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (famous for his work on the Eiffel tower) was brought on board the project. He designed the iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework of the statue. This framework enables the copper skin of the statue to move, while remaining in an upright position (Statue of Liberty.org). The skeleton of the statue is 94 ft. high that supports a secondary iron frame which contained a system of flat wrought iron bars. It is these iron bars that hold the copperplate of the statue's skin (Corrosion Doctors).

Another smaller frame supports the head. Similarly a small 47-foot 7-inch skeleton makes up the arm that holds the torch. Farm is designed to withstand a wind load of 58 psf, and moves only three inches in a 50 mph wind (Corrosion Doctors).

The pedestal of the vast Statue of Liberty was designed by American Richard M. Hunt and built by Gen. Charles Stone. French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed the pedestal's steel underpinnings (Corrosion Doctors).

Athletically, the Statue of Liberty remains an attractive structure. A "noble rust' as Italians call it, which gives copper and bronze so beautiful a surface color, covered the Statue of Liberty with a malachite green that does not disintegrate the metal as rust devours iron" (Corrosion Doctors).