Lady Liberty: 11 Things You Didn't Know About the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty's arrived to New York City from France 130 years ago.
According to legend, the idea for the Statue came to sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in a vision. After gaining inspiration, he sketched out his idea and immediately pitched it to as many influential people as possible. The French saw it as a perfect gift to celebrate their friendship.
Throughout history and pop culture, the Statue remains one of the most iconic symbols of America. Learn more about Lady Liberty herself below:
The Statue of Liberty is modeled after the Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas.
The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and seven continents to further indicate the universal concept of liberty.
It took 30 years for the Statue of Liberty to change colors from copper to green.
Lady Liberty's torch symbolizes enlightenment. The Statue's official name shows off its most important symbol, “Liberty Enlightening the World.”
There can be 25 windows found in the Statue's crown. They symbolize gemstones and the heaven's rays shining over the world.
It’s difficult to see the Statue’s feet clearly, but she is standing on a broken shackle and chains with her right foot raised. This represents moving away from oppression and slavery.
American Poet Emma Lazarus wrote a poem about the Statue of Liberty in a sonnet called "The New Colossus" in 1883. Ten years later, the poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and can now be found inside the lower level of the statue’s pedestal.
In the 1960s, Andy Warhol painted "Statue of Liberty" as part of his Pop Art series and is now estimated to be worth over $35M
The comic book character, Miss America, was granted her powers by the Statue of Liberty.
The statue faces southeast which is how it’s become a welcoming symbol for incoming ships.
As one of the tallest statues in New York City, the Statue of Liberty does get struck by lightning. Every year, it's hit by around 600 bolts of lightning since it was built. In 2010, a photographer captured it for the first time.
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