11 rare shots from the construction of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Bartholdi together with engineer Gustave Eiffel (who worked on the frame). It was unveiled on October 28, 1886 and is the largest neoclassical statue that is located on Liberty Island in New York.

The statue was a gift to the USA from the people of France. The project became a joint work of the Americans and the French. The French built the statue, and the Americans chose a place and assembled a pedestal. The height of the Statue of Liberty reaches 46 meters. And its height from the ground to the torch is as much as 93 meters. The statue is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Below you will see rare photos of the construction of the Statue of Liberty in 1883.

To begin with, a drawing of that time.

Craftsmen process copper sheets for the future statue. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Preparation of material for the external case. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Workshop with models of the Statue of Liberty in the background. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Masters at work on the Statue of Liberty. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Construction of the skeleton and plaster surface of the statue's left arm. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

The head of the Statue of Liberty is on display in a Paris park. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

The workshop is outside with a ready-made head. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Scaffolding for assembling the Statue of Liberty. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

Assembling the Statue of Liberty - the lower part is already ready. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)

The Statue of Liberty is almost assembled. (Albert Fer­nique via the New York Pub­lic Library)