The statue of Liberty is one of the national symbols of the USA. Stands on an island in the Harbor of new York, as it is familiar to the world.
The idea of the sculpture is a gift to the centenary of the American Declaration of independence, which was celebrated in 1876, was born in France. The project is undertaken by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the means to create a monument raised by subscription. To determine the place of installation, sculpture, Bartholdi traveled to the U.S. and chose Bedloe's island in new York Harbor – from 1811 was located in the Fort wood, which became part of the Foundation of the statue.
Bartholdi designed the monument in the form of a colossal figure of the Roman goddess of liberty with a torch in however right hand. In the left hand of Liberty holds a tablet on which is carved the date of the Declaration of independence. Head crowned with a diadem, with seven rays is a symbol of the continents (Western geographical tradition distinguishes seven continents).
The construction of the statue of 46 meters height has become a complex engineering task. Bartholdi collected the shape from sheets of copper with a thickness of 2, 57 mm, minted by using wooden forms. The weight of the brass plates was 31 ton. Located inside the shape of the steel supporting structure is developed with the help of Gustave Eiffel's Eiffel tower), weighs 125 tons.
To install a monument to the centenary of the Declaration of independence was not in time – the seventies of the XIX century was marked in the US economic depression, the construction of the pedestal (for it answered the American side) was delayed. The situation has changed for the better, when the journalist and publisher Joseph Pulitzer promised to publish the name of everyone who donates to the project any amount. Money flowed, among them was, for example, one dollar donated by a group of children who refused to do this, from visiting the circus. The money went from lotteries, Boxing matches and the boxes in the bars.
June 17, 1885 a French military frigate "Isere" transported the disassembled statue in the port of new York he was met in the sea of hundreds of ships. October 28, 1886 the statue was inaugurated – this event was marked by a Grand parade through the city.
The sculpture quickly became very popular: it was depicted on coins, posters, she became the heroine of many films. In 1956 Bedloe's island was renamed Liberty island. In 2011 began large-scale reconstruction of the monument, and a year later it was opened to the public, but the next day, hurricane sandy dealt a terrible blow around the island: wind storm destroyed the engineering system, tore down the sidewalks. On independence Day 2013 (July 4) island and the statue was re-opened.
Tourists arrive here by ferry. If you order tickets in advance, you can climb to the observation deck in the crown. It offers breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline and new York Harbor. On a bronze plate attached to the wall of the Museum in the pedestal of the statue, engraved with the words of the sonnet "the New Colossus" poetess Emma Lazarus:
"...And I give from the depths of the bottomless
Your poor, men scored his,
Send me the outcast, the homeless,
I candle at Golden door! "
(Translated By Vladimir Lazaris)