NewYorkFirst.com: Statue of Liberty

New York's Wonder of the World.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of the French government to the United States to honor the ideals of freedom and independence. It was a very early gesture of national generosity. This huge statue became a symbol of hope and freedom for many hundreds of millions of people who immigrated to the United States during the 20th century to find a new life of peace and prosperity. It is also a candidate for the New 7 Wonders of the World, one that most closely resembles an Ancient 7 Wonder --The Colossus of Rhodes.

The poem "The New Colossus," by Emma Lazarus, was engraved in 1903 on a bronze plaque in the museum at the base of the statue. Its famous final lines read: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless,tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Lady Gotham.
In the 1870s, the statue's sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, began making small-scale replicas to help pay for the real one. By the time of official dedication, New York was flooded with cheap, illegal knock-offs, and even today most models are manufactured in China -- hardly a bastion of human rights or liberty! This extraordinary piece is proudly made in New York City. The 15-inch tall scaled replica of the Statue of Liberty, approved by the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation, is meticulously sculpted and cast in bonded marble with a hand painted patina. In a process similar to casting bronze, a mold is created and cast with a cold mixture of marble dust and catalyzed resin which produces a dense, rock-hard material that is superior to natural marble for durability.

Masterpiece in Metal.
Old-world casting techniques are combined with a state-of-the-art finishing process to produce durable, solid cast aluminum models of the Statue of Liberty. The design was first carved in wood to offer exceptional detail. Then, the woodcarving was used to create a mold into which superior grade molten aluminum alloy was hand poured. The resulting casting was then hand-buffed to a stylish, bright polished surface.

Liberty Enlightening the World.
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States, a gift of the French government to the United States to honor the ideals of freedom and independence. It was a very early gesture of national generosity. The copper-clad statue became a symbol of hope and freedom for many hundreds of millions of people who immigrated to the United States during the 20th century to find a new life of peace and prosperity.

The New York First Company - Impeccable Gifts and Unique Wonders