11 rare footage from the construction of the Statue of Liberty

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

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

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

1. For starters - a drawing of that time.

2. Masters process sheets of copper for a future statue. (Albert Fernique via the New York Public Library)

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

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

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

6. Construction of the skeleton and plaster surface of the left hand of the statue. (Albert Fernique via the New York Public Library)

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

8. Workshop outside with the finished head. (Albert Fernique via the New York Public Library)

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

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

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