The Statue of Liberty National Monument that adorns the mouth of the New York Harbour is such a shining example. As the ‘Lady of Liberty’ celebrates the 122^nd anniversary of her birth today, October 28, it gives us an opportunity to look at the   loving gift that the people of France made to the United States in appreciation of the liberty and freedom that both the nations cherished and wished to hold up as an example to the whole world.

The original idea to establish such a monument rose in the mind of Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye, a scholar, jurist, abolitionist and political leader who thought: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people in France gave the United States a great monument as a lasting memorial to independence and human liberty?” It was a concept that readily appealed to his friends and contemporaries.

They conceived it as a Statue of Liberty patterned after the goddess, Libertas, the Roman personification of freedom. The famous sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design it with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to coincide with the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.

Bartholdi took up the challenge enthusiastically. A trip to Egypt that brought him face to face with the majestic grandeur of the Pyramids inspired him to think really big.

The project was envisaged as a joint effort between America and France. It was agreed upon that the American people would build the pedestal while the French would be responsible for the Statue in copper and its assembly in the United State. Bartholdi acquired the assistance of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework.

It was undoubtedly a colossal project and fund raising was a formidable challenge. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to generate funds.

In the United States, theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights were organised. But the process was rather slow and unsatisfactory. Then came the dynamic and effective contribution of Joseph Pulitzer, who used the editorial pages of his newspaper, The World to step up the tempo. On his part, Bartholdi not only sculpted the masterpiece but also travelled to America to promote the project and raise funds by exhibiting the sketch and a scale model.

The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived at the New York Harbour in June 1885. In transit, the Statue was dismantled into 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The pedestal, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, was ready by April 1886.  The Statue was re-assembled on the pedestal in four months time. And finally on October 28th 1886 President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue to the nation and the world in the presence of thousands of spectators. No one really minded that the centennial gift had come ten years late.

The rainy and foggy weather could not dampen the spirits of the more than 1 million people who lined New York’s streets. In a spontaneous expression of joy, office boys, from a hundred windows, unreeled the spools of tape and filled the air with white curling streamers. That was thus the birth of the now famous New York ticker-tape parade as well.

Over the years, the statue has had a colourful history. President Calvin Coolidge declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924. In 1933, the National Park Service took over its administration and maintenance.  The island’s name was changed to Liberty Island in 1956.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head an ambitious $87 million project to renovate the Statue. The same year the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site.

On July 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue re-opened to the public amidst great fanfare. It was closed following the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and was reopened only on August 3, 2004.

The marvellous monument that stands from ground to the tip of torch at 305’1″(92.99m) has 25 windows in the crown, which symbolize gemstones found on the earth and the heaven’s rays shining over the world. The seven rays of the crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads July 4th, 1776.

In 1903, a bronze plaque was fastened to an interior wall of the pedestal. It bore the famous sonnet The New Colossus written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus. The poem aptly conveys the statue’s universal message of hope and freedom to immigrants to America and people seeking freedom, across the globe.  

Over the last 122 years, the Statue of Liberty reigns as an internationally-recognized symbol of freedom and opportunity. It will continue to be not only a major tourist attraction but also a great symbol of hope and democratic values to be cherished by the entire humanity.