Everything you need to know about Lady Liberty, the iconic statue welcoming people to NYC since 1886.
New York Cityis full of “ it girls , ” but none are more iconic than Lady Liberty . Standing at Liberty Island since 1886 , the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of not just NYC but the entire country , welcome thousands of visitors every sidereal day .
You probably know that Lady Liberty , or The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World if you ’re count for her regime name , was a gift from France to the United States . The robed woman ( and Roman goddess ) holding a torch up to the sky was sculpt by Frederic - Auguste Bartholdi out of copper before Alexandre - Gustave Eiffel ’s engineering company created her steel model .
There ’s a lot of lore wall this epic monument . But Matt Housch , an archivist and historian at the National Park Service , and more specifically the Statue of Liberty National Monument , told Thrillist that many of the fun facts float around do n’t tell the full story — and many are n’t even rightful . So we consulted expert to fact check some common misconception and find these 12 lesser known facts about The Statue of Liberty .
Photo by Einar Magnus Magnusson/Shutterstock
1. She hasn’t been hit by lightning nearly as much as people say
If you scour the internet , you might line up intel that Lady Liberty is struck by lightning as many as600 times a year . However , harmonize to Housch and others , that ’s inaccurate .
In the eighties , the statue undergo refurbishment as part of its 100th anniversary . That assessment let in looking at the statue ’s lightning protection , where Mike Violette and his father Normfoundshe ’s really only been struck by lightning around 6,000 times in her entire ( at the sentence ) 100 - class chronicle . That leaves the accuratecount of lightning strikes at around six per year .
2. The torch has never been open to the public
visitor can walk around the outside of the statue and climb to the top to take the air inside the crown , but the repose of the bodily structure is closed to visitors . Some say that Lady Liberty ’s torch was closed to the populace source in 1916 due to the " Black Tom " explosion , which pass in a railroad railyard in New Jersey . In actuality , the woolly mullein has never been available to the public , harmonize to Housch .
There was a gate installed in 1888 on the statue ’s correct articulatio humeri to stop people from climbing up the weapon , and a 1901 paper clipping also details the fact that visitor are preclude . Though some people have been render exceptional permission over the years , it ’s a regular part of statue myth that the torch or any other part of the statue was in the main open to the public . After all , it ’s a 40 - foot - tall smoothing iron ravel with an candid air balcony … think of the causa .
3. She regularly has some work done
The Statue of Liberty was splendidly and proudly restored in 1986 . But that was not the first restoration effort she underwent , contrary to democratic opinion . In the 1930s , the Work Progress Administration made substantial renovation exploit . They even took the spikes on her headstall down .
Because of her copper exterior , the monument will need to be remediate every 50 years or so . It stands the test of system of logic that her first major return was around her 50th anniversary , then again around her 100th day of remembrance . “ We are currently looking at what kind of oeuvre she need for her 150th anniversary , ” says Housch .
4. She was shopped around
Frédéric - Auguste Bartholdi , the monument ’s sculptor , wanted to make a statue — but he did n’t really care how it would take shape . Before Bartholdi ’s design for the New York City watershed was off the ground , he had come near leaders in Egypt about creating a Brobdingnagian carving for the opening of the Suez Canal entitled “ Progress conduct The Light To Asia . ” After Egypt order no , he occur up with the blueprint for the Statue of Liberty and dedicate it in 1886 .
Although he would after deny the design was n’t made specifically and entirely for New York in the New York World , “ forward motion carry The Light To Asia ” was a robed woman holding a light , and we all know what Lady Liberty looks like .
5. She actually wasn’t copper for all that long
It ’s comparatively common noesis that the statue ’s current greenish , seafoamish chromaticity is far different from her original fuzz patina . What is commonly misunderstood , according to Housch , is how long it took her to look that path .
Many accounts say she began become green after 30 geezerhood . But evidence suggests that it really only took a few years for the elements to begin ferment the copper a dark-green ghost in some areas .
Interestingly enough , due to atmospherical changes in the New York Harbor from changing zephyr - pollution law of nature , her top brilliant white patina layer began to run off over the years . Today , you ’ll bump oddment of the top livid bed wash onto the granite of her supporting pedestal .
In addition , although it ’s advise on a brass near the statue that all her pig was source from Norway , that probably is n’t only accurate because unlike part of the statue seem to be deform slightly different shades of green as they endure differently due to the dissimilar source location .
6. Crowdfunding but not as patriotic as it seems
The American Committee , a private mathematical group Joseph Pultizler was a part of that sought to finance the statue , did n’t meet their fundraising goals . So Pulitzer , feel mortified , according to Housch , reverse to the populace .
He published a now - famous advertizement in theNew York Worldasking unremarkable people for their donation and even published a number of the figure of people who donated for special incentive . There ’s a amatory notion of schoolhouse children helping get the statue built , consort to Housch .
7. Her crown is actually rather small
New Yorkers fuck the feeling all too well : When you look at an flat online and walk in to tour it for the first fourth dimension only to realise with stunning lucidity that your real landed estate agent had admittance to an exceedingly wide - slant lens system . Lady Liberty ’s crown is a raft like that .
Movies and overall repute make the statue ’s crown seem large , but it ’s truly a very small , tight outer space , Housch , who has shape in the space himself , enunciate . Many people who make it up to the top are disappointed by its property , he said .
8. She worked out her arm too much
In the foot race - up to the statue being land up , the statue ’s historian say , there was an esthetic choice made to slightly change the direction the lady was holding her arm .
This , during the first restitution in the thirties , caused quite a fuss for those assessing her . Many were alarmed by the amount her arm seemed to be swaying and moving in the wind . The WPA repaired it , of course , but those tasked with keeping the statue in tip - top shape decided she needed to lie off the arm exercising .
9. She’s a great hunting perch for birds
Over 3 million visitors deal to the Statue of Liberty every year , but birdie care to visit too . Paraben Falcons will often apply the statue as a really great hunt perch , according to Housch . From the lofty lookout , they ’ll hound other bird that are also around the monument ’s stately image and are able to regain good germ of food on the island .
10. The rays on her crown don’t represent the seven seas, continents or even the seven dwarves
You might stumble upon the idea that the spiked beam projecting out of Lady Liberty ’s poll are representative of something . As this fussy monument is arguably one of the most famous pieces of art in the world , Housch says , looker are welcome to interpret what different component mean .
But as far as the statue ’s carver is concerned , the sculpture is a Roman goddess , whose pate has stick out ray of light coming off it , as is key in the sculptor ’s patent diligence .
11. She may be based off the sculptor’s mother
The madam who watches over New York Harbor has striking feature , but art historians do n’t have a solid resolution as to which strong womanhood the sculpture is based on .
The most plebeian claim about her kisser is that the part was urge on by Bartholdi ’s female parent , Charlotte . The source of this claim is most potential a paper clause wherein a French Senator , who also serve up as vice president of the Franco - American Union that was fundraising for the Gallic side of the Statue of Liberty projection , told an interesting tale :
" Mr. Bartholdi said to me : ' Come with me to the Opera , you will see why we are give way . ' I accepted , and entered a glum stage boxwood . In the corner was a dame of bring down appearance . find myself near Bartholdi , I said to him : ' That ’s the Statue of Liberty ! ' He pressed my hand , say : ' Yes , it is . ' Do you know who that ma’am was ? It was Bartholdi ’s mother ! ”
It ’s still very much up for debate amongst historians . So much so that a 2014 book entitledLiberty ’s Torcheven suggested that Bartholdi may have modeled the look after his buddy , Charles .
12. She wasn’t a very good lighthouse
Lady Liberty made a life history pivot to statue after finding her tenure as a beacon unsuccessful . The first Union department to be put in kick of maintaining the Statue of Liberty was the US Lighthouse Board , it ’s true . It ’s also true a light used to reflect from her torch that could be watch from very far off .
Since New York Harbor had plenty of other lighthouses seafaring kinsfolk used for navigation , however , she was n’t just in high requirement for navigator . So in 1902 , the US Lighthouse Board was sick of maintaining the giant structure and oversight was cash in one’s chips onto the US Department of War .
