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Statue of Liberty
Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was
commissioned to design a
sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate
the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The
Statue was a joint
effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that
the
American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people
were responsible
for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States.
However, lack of funds was a problem on
both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France,
public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were
among the methods used to
raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events,
art exhibitions, auctions and prize
fights assisted in providing needed funds.
Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required
the assistance of an engineer
to address structural issues associated with designing such as
colossal copper sculpture.
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned
to
design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework
which allows the
Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright.
Back in America, fund raising for the
pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer
(noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages
of his newspaper,
"The World"
to support the fund raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper
to criticize both the rich
who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle
class who were content
to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign
of harsh criticism was
successful in motivating the people of America to donate.
— National Park Service
Richmond Railway Bridge
Towpath By a Canal
Church in San Jose, Costa Rica
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