Raise a glass (and a paintbrush) to Liberty this 4th July!
The Statue of Liberty represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of Freedom, and has been welcoming immigrants into the US for 132 years! She sure is one to raise a glass to on the 4th July.
But did you know…?
1. She wasn’t intended to be a New Yorker
The designer Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi had hoped for his original design of Liberty to work as a lighthouse at the entrance to the Suez Canal but they declined based on the cost. Whoops!
2. She was originally going to be gold plated!
But not due to Bartholdi being overly bling, he simply wanted the statue to be visible after dark! However, he failed to raise the exorbitant funds required and had to settle for a very shiny copper instead. It took 20 years for her to oxidise into the green hue you see today.
She did get her gold eventually! ..but only on her torch, which in 1984 was replaced and covered in 24k gold leaf.
3. She was ‘born’ in Paris
Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the Eiffel tower, designed Liberty’s ‘spine’ comprising of four iron columns, supported by a metal framework before sheets of copper were hammered into place. Ouch!
She was installed in paris temporarily before making being dissembled for her voyage to New York, in 214 wooden crates!
4. She is said to be struck by lightening 600 times a year!
Although she is grounded by her granite and concrete base, her height and copper skin make her an excellent conductor for lightning bolts!
5. That’s not a novel she’s reading
It is the tablet of law, measuring 23′ 7″ tall and 13′ 7″ wide, symbolising justice and equality. It reads in Roman numerals: JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4th 1776), the date of American independence.
Feeling inspired?
Come and celebrate Lady Liberty with us on 4th July and paint your own ‘Starry Night Over New York‘!
Book your place here!
