Statue of Liberty National Monument Travel Page by nicolettart

Both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island belong to New Jersey, I am proud to say!!

It's a very nice trip to take if you are visiting NY or NJ, and in the summer taking a ferry ride in New York Harbor sure does beat the Heat!

Date Construction of the Statue began in France: 1875

Sculptor: Auguste Bartholdi
Bartholdi's Military Rank: Quartermaster to a force of five thousand soldiers
Bartholdi's Commander at Autun during Franco-Prussian War in 1870: Giuseppe Garibaldi (FS1986)

Structural Engineer: Gustave Eiffel
Method of Fabrication: Repousse Process

Statue completed in Paris: June 1884
Statue presented to America by the people of France: July 4, 1884
Statue dismantled and shipped to US: Early 1885

1885 Transport Ship: French frigate "Isere"
Number of individual pieces shipped to US: 350
Number of crates required: 214
Location of Statue: Liberty Island, formerly Bedloe's Island and Fort Wood (fortress for protection
of New York Harbor 1811)

Architect of the pedestal: Richard Morris Hunt (in 1877)
Champion Fundraiser for the Pedestal: Joseph Pulitzer,
Hungarian immigrant, Publisher of the New York World.
Treaurer of The American Committee for the Statue of Liberty:
Henry A. Spaulding

Date the cornerstone was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor: 5 August 1884
Source of Granite for the Pedestal: Leete's Island, Connecticut

Date of Final Assembly of statue & pedestal: 1886
Official accepting Statue on behalf of US: President Grover Cleveland
Date of Acceptance by President: October 28, 1886
Part of Acceptance Statement by President Cleveland:
"We will not forget that liberty here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected".
Date designated a National Monument: October 15, 1924

Wind speed at which Statue sways 3 inches (7.62 cm): 50 mph
Torch sway in 50 mph wind: 5 inches (12.7 cm).
Number of windows in the crown: 25
Number of spikes in the crown: Seven rays of the diadem
(7 oceans of the World)
Hand with which Statue holds tablet: Left
Inscription on tablet: "July 4, 1776" (in Roman numerals)
Day of America's Independence from Britain: July 4, 1776

Height from base to torch (Bartholdi's design): 151' 1" (46.50m)
Height from base to torch (1984 Survey): 152' 2" (46.84m)
Foundation of pedestal to torch (Bartholdi's design): 305' 1" (92.99m)
Foundation of pedestal to torch (1984 Survey): 306' 8" (93.47m)
Heel to top of head: 111' 1" (33.86m)
Length of hand: 16' 5" (5.00m)

Index finger: 8' 0" (2.44m)
Circumference at second joint: 3' 6" (1.07m)
Size of fingernail: 13"x10" (33x25.4cm)
Weight of fingernail: About 3.5 pounds. (1.5 kg)
Head from chin to cranium: 17' 3" (5.26m)
Head thickness from ear to ear: 10' 0" (3.05m)
Distance across the eye: 2' 6" ( .76m)

Length of nose: 4' 6" ( l.48m)
Right arm length: 42' 0" (12.80m)
Right arm greatest thickness: 12' 0" (3.66m)
Thickness of waist: 35' 0" (10.67m)
Width of mouth: 3' 0" (.91m)

Tablet, length: 23' 7" (7.19m)
Tablet, width: 13' 7" (4.14m)
Tablet, thickness: 2' 0" (.61m)
Height of granite pedestal: 89' 0" (27.13m)
Height of foundation: 65' 0" (19.81m)

Weight of copper used in Statue: 179,200 pounds (81,300 kilograms)
Weight of steel used in Statue: 250,000 pounds (113,400 kilograms)
Total weight of Statue: 450,000 pounds (225 tons)
Thickness of Copper sheeting: 3/32 inch (2.37mm)


Scaffolding Contractor for 1984-1986 Renovation:
Universal Builders Supply
Architect for 1984-1986 Renovation:
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
Window Subcontractor for 1984-1986 Renovation:
TRACO - Three Rivers Aluminum Company

Approximate fabric in Liberty's dress: 4,000 sq.yds.
Bartholdi intentionally clothed Liberty as a classical Roman diety. She wears a palla, a cloak that is fastened on her left shoulder by a clasp. Underneath is a stola, which falls in many folds to her feet. (BM2000)

Length of sandal: 25'-0"
US Women's Shoe Size based on standard fomula: 879
(Length (inches)= 7.333 + ({[US Women's Size]-1}/3)

info from the Statue's website at Statue of Liberty