Made by the man from the Lion of Belfort
On October 28, 1886 in New York, the Statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World" was inaugurated. 1,000,000 people celebrated the event. The only false note of the inauguration: not understanding English well, Bartholdi thought that the speech of the President of the United States of America was over and he dropped the veil, discovering the work. It took many minutes before the applause ended and the president could... Finish his speech.
Le Lion de Belfort / photo par milosk50/Shutterstock.com
An idea that took 21 years to come to fruition.
Auguste Bartholdi (1834 - 1904) par Nadar
The idea might have never come to fruition. It took 21 years for the idea of French Republicans to become a reality. The idea of exalting Liberty and the union between the United States of America and France. The realization was entrusted to Auguste Bartholdi. It must be said that he has already done in excess with his magnificent Lion of Belfort. 11 meters long and 4 meters high, it was completed in 1880.
La statue de la Liberté / photo par Matej Hudovernik/Shutterstock.com
Bartholdi's genius and iron will, combined with the enthusiasm of the Friends of the United States association, allowed the project to be completed, even though it had almost failed many times. And from the start, it was a passion on both sides of the Atlantic. People contributed, the Americans for the base, the French for the statue. Gounod composed a cantata to celebrate, Violet le duc gave Bartholdi advice and Gustave Eiffel proposed the metal structure that would allow the statue to be immense while holding up against the wind. Built in Paris, it was dismantled in 350 pieces and transported by sea. Arrived so late that the ship was thought to have been sunk by a storm, the statue was reassembled on Bedloe Island on a base made of stones from Lorraine. The Statue of Liberty, emblem of America, is thus as French as its sisters in Paris and Colmar.
La statue de la Liberté / photo par luca amedei/Shutterstock.com
