14 Historic Images Capturing the Construction of the Statue of Liberty:

For nearly 150 years, the Statue of Liberty has stood as a symbol of American freedom, proudly gracing the waters of New York.

Completed in 1884, the statue was transported from France to the United States in sections, arriving on July 17, 1885. It was meticulously reassembled on Bedloe’s Island and officially dedicated on October 28, 1886.

1. In 1875, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor behind the statue, is seen here posing with a visitor at a Paris studio. The concept for the statue arose in 1865 when the French government tasked Bartholdi with creating a sculpture for the Suez Canal.


2. Workers hammer out copper sheets with The Statue of Liberty’s arm in the background.


3. The Statue of Liberty’s head on display in Paris, France, in 1883, one year before it would be shipped to the United States.


4. Well before the Statue of Liberty became an iconic American monument and tourist attraction, it was popular with tourists in France who came to see it under construction.


5. Lady Liberty’s head at the Paris International Exposition, 1878. The head was one of the first pieces completed and put on display.


6. The statue was built with copper, which has turned green over time due to the natural weathering process known as oxidation.


7. The statue stands fully assembled on display outside of the workshop in Paris. The statue stands 151 feet tall from the base to the torch.


8. A photograph of the torch on display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 1776.


9. The face of the Statue of Liberty before it was attached to the rest of the head.


10. Photo of the Statue of Liberty being assembled in Paris, 1883. The head sits on the ground while the bottom half is assembled in scaffolding.


11. Photo of the toes and torch of the Statue of Liberty sitting on Bedloe’s Island before they were hoisted on the pedestal. C. 1885.


12. A woman and childing posing with the face of the Statue of Liberty


13. The almost fully assembled Statue of Liberty in Paris, France.


14. Lady Liberty’s inauguration, October 28, 1886. President Grover Cleveland celebrated the event with a military and naval salute.