Many historians say that the Statue of Liberty was modeled after Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
The female figure in the Port Said design evolved into the goddess who would become “Liberty Enlightening the World.”.
The Statue of Liberty is covered with a layer of copper that is very thin – about the depth of two pennies pressed together.
Towering 879 feet atop her pedestal, Lady Liberty has a 35-foot waistline, stands 305 feet tall weighs 2204 pounds and wears a size 879 shoe.
Bartholdi originally designed Lady Liberty holding broken chains, but later deemed the explicit reference to slavery too controversial.
Instead, a broken chain and shackles lie at the statue’s feet, delivering the abolitionist message more subtlety.
She’s marching forward, moving towards the horizon, forever leading the way and lighting the path to liberty and freedom. »