On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York in 350 pieces, shipped in over 200 cases. It was assembled over the course of a year before being officially unveiled to the public in October 1886. The statue, designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, was intended as a gift from the people of France to celebrate American independence and the friendship between the two countries. While France funded the statue, the pedestal was financed by the United States. The delayed construction of the pedestal was further delayed due to fundraising issues.
Fundraising efforts for the pedestal included a variety of unique tactics such as lotteries and boxing matches. Poet Emma Lazarus wrote her famous sonnet ‘The New Colossus’ in 1883, which was cast in bronze and displayed inside the pedestal. To raise additional funds, Joseph Pulitzer placed an ad in his paper, the New York World, inviting readers to donate to the cause in exchange for having their names printed in the newspaper. This successful campaign helped raise the necessary funds to complete the construction of the pedestal. Overall, the Statue of Liberty cost approximately $250,000 in 1880s money, roughly equivalent to nearly $6 million today.
While construction of the pedestal was ongoing in the United States, the Statue of Liberty remained in pieces on what was then called Bedloe’s Island. The pedestal was not completed until April 1886, further delaying the project. Once the pedestal was finished, the statue stood at a height of 151 feet, 1 inch, making it the tallest structure in the United States at the time. Visitors are allowed to enter the statue and climb up to the crown, which can only be accessed by climbing 162 stairs. The statue’s arm holding the torch is 46 feet long, her finger is eight feet long, and her nose is about five feet long.
The Statue of Liberty’s construction was delayed in part due to fundraising issues and the construction of the pedestal. Despite these challenges, the statue remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, gifted to the United States in celebration of American independence. Visitors can explore the interior of the statue, climbing up to the crown by climbing 162 stairs. The statue’s unique design and construction process have solidified its place as an iconic symbol of American values and ideals.
