On This Day In History: Statue of Liberty Arrived In New York Harbor – On June 17, 1885

AncientPages.com - On June 17, 1885,  the most iconic monument in the U.S - the Statue of Liberty - arrived in New York harbor.

According to the National Parks Service, as a gift of friendship from France to commemorate the ideals shared by the French and American governments, the statue arrived in New York harbor in more than 300 pieces packed in more than 200 cases.

The statue on Liberty Island

The statue on Liberty Island. Photograph by D Ramey Logan - CC BY 4.0

The copper statue was assembled over several months on what was then called Bedloe's Island, according to the National Parks Service, before being commemorated on October 28, 1886.

The artist who designed the statue, Auguste Bartholdi, said he chose to put the figure on what is now known as Liberty island because of its location in the busy harbor.

Bartholdi modeled the design after his mother and received help creating the internal skeletal structure from engineer Gustave Eiffel. At the same time, the latter was completing his eponymous tower for the 1889 World's Fair.

The statue has been dedicated to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Monument, and a New York City landmark. It's continuously visited by millions worldwide every year and is one of the nation's most impressive and symbolic sites.

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