posted by Travel Cat on May 25
‘Where is the Statue of Liberty located?’, and ‘Why does copper turn green?’ are 2 of the many questions associated with this amazing US monument.
Yes, America has many other great monuments including Yellowstone National Park and the Washington Monument - but it is the Statue of Liberty that is often used to depict the whole country - and one that is widely recognised by everyone.
Built for 1886 on it’s own island: Liberty Island in New York Harbour - and also known as Liberty Enlightening the World, this statue is certainly a tourist destination for New York travellers and is a must on your tour of New York City should you ever visit!
So below, I hope to answer a few of those nagging questions that everyone will be asking about the Statue, and maybe a few of those your kids ask you and you just can’t answer!
So, What does the Statue of Liberty Represent?
Dressed in the Roman ‘Classical’ appearance, she represents Libertas - the ancient goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression and tyranny. She is shown to be in mid-step - that is to say she is ‘moving forwards’ towards new ways of thinking.
She was also a gift to the American people from the people of France for their centennial - so it symbolizes the joining and friendship of nations as well.
Why is the Statue of Liberty green?
Lady Liberty is made of copper - and we all know from school that copper turns green (or technically gets a coating of green) when it is exposed the salt water or air over long periods of time.
This coating is known as ‘verdigris’ and is a type of copper carbonate or copper chloride and was used in ancient art as a pigment!
The original copper face of the statue is inside the museum and is still the original color as it was never exposed!
How tall is the Statue of Liberty?
From base to the torch, she is 151ft and 1 inch (46 meters). But from the base of the pedestal to the torch is a whopping 305ft and 1 inch (93 meters).
Other Statue of Liberty facts include: length of hand - 16ft, 5 inches; index finger - 8ft exactly; length of nose - 4ft, 6 inches; width of mouth - 3ft.
Thickness of copper used - 2.5mm; weight of copper used - 60,000 pounds; weight of steel used for support - 250,000 pounds!
What is the quote on the Statue of Liberty?
Technically there is no quote on the outside of the Statue of Liberty - although this is often depicted as so on images of the Statue, however the inscription is on the inside of the pedestal.
It is entitled ‘The New Colossus’ (written by Emma Lazarus) and refers to the old giant statue that used to sit on the edges of the Mediterranean Sea in Greek history - one of the original Seven Wonders of the World.
This giant was supposed to be a huge statue of the Greek god Helios, and he too supposedly wore a 7-starred ‘crown’ and stood near a main harbour.
There are only 3000 passes available per day to get to the island - but you cannot get into the statue itself at the moment….. So still worth a visit - but make sure you plan in advance.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
The Statue of Liberty in New York City is a great family vacation stop-over. Be sure to have your picture taken by the park rangers - it makes a great vacation souviner….