The Story of the State of Liberty, Told by Trust Art
How are great public artworks like the Statue of Liberty built? How are these iconic projects begun?
The story always involves fellow human beings rallying together -- charging forward through successive acts of collaboration, beauty, and wonder.
In the case of the Statue of Liberty, it all began with a proposition of one Frenchman to another at a dinner party a decade before America's centennial.
Chapter 1: The Dinner Party
In 1866, a decade before America’s centennial, Edouard-Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye, a French lawyer, poet, and author, hosted a dinner party. During the party he proposed an idea: a centennial gift from the people ofFrance to the people ofthe United States. Frederic Bartholdi, a friend ofLaboulaye and sculptor, was immediately inspired. He began drawing sketches ofa magnificent statue.
Chapter 2: A Voyage
Laboulaye sent Bartholdi to America in search for an appropriate location for the statue. While there, he was also to determine if there was public support for such an idea. Bartholdi later reported, “I’ve found an admirable spot. It is Bedloe’s Island, in the middle ofthe bay…the island belongs to the government; it’s on national territory, belonging to all the states…” The small island in New York’s harbor was chosen as the site for the magnificent statue, which had significant support from the American public.
Chapter 3: Money and Manpower
Both the American and French governments were openly opposed to any funding for the monument’s construction. However, the pubic has supported the idea in both France and America, so Laboulaye decided the cost would be split between the two nations; the American public would fund the base and pedestal, and French public would fund the statueitself. Meanwhile Bartholdi contacted a fellow architect, artist, and engineer, Gustave Eiffel, to help build the statue’s inner scaffold.
Chapter 4: An International Financial Fiasco
In 1874, after sporadic funding and building, the project was hopelessly behind schedule. To complete the statueBartholdi needed hundreds ofthousands in additional funding. Worse, the American fund-raising venture was even further behind schedule. Support was not translating into donations, even after Bartholdi founded the Franco-American Union in 1875 to encourage support and raise money. Bartholdi then turned his creativity toward funding his creation.
Chapter 5: Fundraising 2.0
The statuehad missed the original deadline of1876 with few parts ofthe statuecompleted. Then a barrage ofnovel funding ideas, all ofwhich involved public money, helped finish the statue. The Franco-American Union held a lottery; among the prizes were jewelry and household furnishings, which raised significant funds. Then Bartholdi commercialized the Libertyimage, allowing companies to license the image upon product labels, posters, postcards, and publications. Miniature models ofthe statuewere made ofterra cotta and zinc were sold. A “LibertyCantata” was written and performed at the Paris Opera. In France and America, Bartholdi toured the head and torch portion; he sold $0.50 tickets to climb into the monument’s parts. In 1884, after years ofaggressive and innovative fundraising, the statuewas completed, however, the financial situation in America was dire. There was nowhere to put the completed statue.
Chapter 6: Old-Fashioned Crowdsourcing
Except for a resolution by Congress to accept the statue, the French gift had been unpopular with the American government. In 1883 Congress voted down a bill allotting $100,000 towards the statue’s base and pedestal and the Governor ofNew York vetoed a $50,000 grant. Joseph Pulitzer found the government’s actions repulsive, writing a scathing op-ed targeting America’s wealthy and their neglect ofthis noble cause. After the 1883 setback Pulitzer himself began a furious fundraising campaign in his newspaper The New York Globe. After two months ofconstant haranguing the first round proved unsuccessful with $137.50 in total donations. Upset by the outcome he tried again in 1885. The Globe’s readership had increased by 100,000 readers and Pulitzer called upon all readers, no matter what donation they could make, from a single penny to a hundred dollars, to donate towards the Lady Libertyproject.
Chapter 7: Lighting a Fire
Pulitzer’s populist message resulted in raising over $2,000 from over 2,000 donors, but when he announced that the statuewas in crates and being shipped from France the public responded with vigor. Over $25,000 was raised in one month. The next month Pulitzer raised another $25,000. He published the results each day and by mid-1885 over $75,000 had been raised. This was enough to start construction ofthe pedestal. By the fall of1885 over 120,000 people had donated over $100,000.
Chapter 8: The Gift Economy
With the money in hand, the architect Richard Morrison Hunt managed the design and building. He conceived ofthe 11-pointed star base the statuestands upon. He charged $1,000 for the project, which he later donated back to the statue. The pedestal was completed in the spring of1886.
Chapter 9: A Dream Realized, An Act Inspired
In late October 1886 a vast celebration was arranged for the unveiling ofthe statue. The day began with a massive parade with over one million spectators. As the parade marched South through Manhattan’s Financial district, office boys dumped rolls ofticker tape from the windows, inspiring the first ticker-tape parade and beginning a New York tradition. Standing in the crown, Bartholdi alone pulled the cord to unveil the statue. He later said, “The dream ofmy life is accomplished.”
