The Statue of Liberty at 125 Years

Construction Challenges
Political difficulties in France during the 1870s posed a challenge to raising the necessary funds to complete the other pieces of the statue. In France, the government authorized a lottery that drew 250,000 francs for the project in addition to donated copper. As construction progressed and funds were raised, construction began in Paris on the final statue. In 1881, Bartholdi approached Gustave Eiffel about designing the steel skeleton that would support the statue, and the torch was shipped back from New York to be reunited with the rest of the sculpture as it rose above the Paris skyline. Pictured above, the statue of liberty nears completion, circa 1883.

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