Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Rough Start For Lady Liberty...!

Ever wonder just how the Statue of Liberty made it to her present place of welcome? Come to find out, her trip was not an easy one at all!

A little bit of research (and this article from Listverse) shows that it took a lot of luck and hard work to finally bring Lady Liberty home!


Statue Of Liberty Stuffed In Storage




Millions of immigrants came from around the world to pass under Lady Liberty’s torch and find new lives in a nation that promised a better future. She has stood in the harbor attracting thousands of new visitors every year and representing the idealism of her country and its people.

You may know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. This is both true and completely false. The artist, Auguste Bartholdi, originally approached Egyptian leaders during the World’s Fair with hopes of designing a massive statue to sit at the entrance of the Suez Canal. He was ultimately denied and searched for an alternative, turning to America with the hook of celebrating the young country’s independence.

It took 15 years and extensive fundraising to complete the statue, which was fully constructed in a Paris neighborhood with no significant funding from either government. In the end, Joseph Pulitzer saved the day by promising to print the names of every single contributor in his magazine. The plan worked. The gift was packed and shipped on the French ship Isere in 300 pieces in 241 crates across the Atlantic Ocean.

The cargo was nearly lost in rough seas. Once she reached the harbor, America’s icon was placed in storage for over a year. There it stayed, and there it would have remained indefinitely until it was de-mothballed and made the centerpiece of a publicity stunt, in which every person who donated to the cause of putting Liberty on her island got their name printed in New York World newspaper. Who could resist?

So bribery, luck, and good old-fashioned commercialism established America’s symbol in her current home.
Nice to finally know that the very symbol of our country had as rocky a start as we did a a new nation. However she finally made it home, regardless of the means. Let's hope she stays there for a very, very long time!

Coffee out on the patio this nice, cool morning.OK?

7 comments:

Chickenmom said...

Thanks for the history lesson, Mr. Hermit. Didn't know she was in storage for all that time! 35 here - I'll bring a warm crumb cake.

Mamahen said...

I had no idea it took all that to get the lady where she has stood all these years. Another great post :))

linda m said...

I had heard some of the story before but had no idea she sat in storage that long. Nor did I hear about the "bribe" to get her reconstructed. doesn't surprise me tho. Great history lesson this morning. Warm here this morning -59 degrees. However, temps are falling. need to rack leaves again. Save my spot on the swing, I will need at least 2 cups of coffee today.

texasann said...

Bubba -
Haven't seen her up close, but she sure can raise some goosebumps when sailing past in the harbor! Thanks for the history lesson ~
Big hugs -

Dizzy-Dick said...

I just looked it up on a map and it is located in New Jersey. I always thought it was in New York. Did the island drift away from New York? (grin)

JO said...

Dizzy, It was quite a battle when NJ realized it was in her waters. The symbol of peace started a lot of fighting. LOL

It is a wonderful and cool morning indeed

HermitJim said...

Hey Phyllis...
Amazing what we never think about, isn't it? Lots of history about some of our national treasures hanging about, I reckon.

Thanks for coming by today!



Hey Mamahen...
Pretty interesting history for the old gal.

Thanks for coming over this morning!



Hey Linda M...
Kinda sad that it took the bribing to get her home. But at least she is there now!

Thanks for dropping by today!



Hey Sis...
You have been closer to her than I ever was.

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Dizzy...
Was kind of a surprise, wasn't it?

Probably for a lot of folks!

Thanks for the visit today!



Hey Jo...
Some folks will fight over anything, I reckon. Human nature!

Thanks, sweetie, for stopping in today!