The Story of the Statue

The Story of the Statue

Introduction The Statue of Liberty is a famous monument in the United States. It is a great work of art that is important to our country's past, present, and future.

Super-Sized Statue The Statue of Liberty looks like a giant green woman! It weighs about 450, 000 pounds, or as much as 115 cars. From the ground to the tip of its torch, it is 305% feet-as tall as a 30-story building. From head to toe, it is 111½ feet tall--taller than three school buses stacked end to end.

The statue is located on an island near New York. As the tallest statue in the United States, Lady Liberty can be seen from miles away. Where did this famous monument come from?

An Idea Is Born Edouard de Laboulaye, a French historian, admired the United States. In 1865, he gave a dinner party. One of the guests was the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. Mr. Laboulaye told Mr. Bartholdi that he wanted to give a gift of friendship to the United States. The gift was the Statue of Liberty.

Mr. Bartholdi began planning the statue in 1871. First, he suggested that they build it on Bedloe's Island, in New York Harbor. The Americans thought about it and agreed. Then, Mr. Bartholdi made a clay model of the statue. The model was finished in 1875. The statue needed to last through wind and bad weather. So the French engineer Gustave Eiffel agreed to help. He created a strong iron skeleton for the statue. He also had the idea to cover the outside with 300 sheets of thin copper.