Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and the island of Manhattan - New York, USAHUMAN
Gifted by France to the United States in 1886, Liberty Lighting the World, commonly known as The Statue of Liberty, stands 93 meters above Upper New York Bay.
She has come to symbolize freedom and opportunity for immigrants arriving by sea seeking new opportunity, and is a triumphant symbol of American identity for those at home. The Statue is recognized worldwide, but did you know the following 5 facts? Scroll on to tour and learn...
1. The statue represents a Roman Goddess
The statue's name derives from the Goddess it represents; Libertas, a Roman deity personifying freedom. Libertas appears on Roman coins from the period of Julius Caesar's assassination, supporting the Republic. Here, you're free to click and point to approach the statue by water.
2. The crown's spikes represent the oceans and continents
The statue's crown bears seven spikes, symbolizing the seven oceans and seven continents of the world, and emphasizing her message of welcome, inclusiveness, and freedom. Can you spot her from here, on nearby Ellis Island, many new Americans' first stop in their new life?
3. Lady Liberty is struck by lightning 600 times every year
Standing proud, exposed to the elements, the statue has to withstand around 600 lightning bolts every year and, in high winds, the torch can sway by about 5 inches side-to-side! Luckily, it's a clear day as we land here at the ferry terminal and approach.
4. Gustave Eiffel helped to build it
Edouard de Laboulaye was the man who dreamt the statue up, and sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed it, but the integral metal framework was made by the same man who built the Eiffel Tower! You can appreciate their work from here in Flagpole Plaza, or get closer...
5. Lady Liberty's face is modelled on the artist's mother
Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who designed the statue, is said to have modelled her face after his own mother. No pressure for your next mother's day gift! Point and click to explore Liberty Island and the world-famous Statue of Liberty.
Statue Of Liberty (2005-07-18) by Margaret Bourke-WhiteLIFE Photo Collection
Now you've arrived on the East Coast, why not take a trip around the United States of Culture?
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