I Love the Lady

Illustration of the head and shoulders of the statue of liberty with white text across the top

The Statue of Liberty was presented as a gift to the United States by the people of France in 1886. Affectionately known as “she” or “the lady”, the statue was made of copper in the neoclassical style and depicts the Roman goddess Libertas. French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the piece and Gustave Eiffel built her. The torch bearing arm and head were completed before the rest so they were put on display at different expositions in order to raise money for the pedestal that was being funded by the Americans. A complete renovation of the statue was conducted from 1984-86. At this time the entire statue was cleaned, holes in the copper skin were repaired, the arm and shoulder were repaired, and the torch was replaced with an exact replica. The new torch’s flame is covered in 24 carat gold. One of the rays of the statue’s crown was also adjusted to prevent it from further rubbing on and damaging the arm during strong winds.