Lady Liberty Sampler

An Illustrated History of America’s Most Storied Woman

LADY LIBERTY Essays by

Joan Marans Dim Paintings by

Antonio Masi

Contents

Realization

Introduction 1

1 Illumination 9 2 Ambition 19 3 Realization 31 4 Poetry 43 5 Immigration 51 6 Portal 65 7 Promises 77 Acknowledgments 85

Selected Bibliography 87

3

When I discover a subject grand enough, I will honor that subject by building the tallest statue in the world.

—Frédéric August Bartholdi

There is an attraction and a charm in the colossal that is not subject to ordinary theories of art.

—Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel

Inside [the Statue of Liberty] we seem to be looking up to the lantern of a gothic cathedral into dim distance. It is rather dark, but the gloom is pierced by thousands of little eyelets of light marking the holes left for the rivets.

—The Morning News: The Latest Telegrams of the Day, Paris, 14 May 1884

Contents

Realization

Introduction 1

1 Illumination 9 2 Ambition 19 3 Realization 31 4 Poetry 43 5 Immigration 51 6 Portal 65 7 Promises 77 Acknowledgments 85

Selected Bibliography 87

3

When I discover a subject grand enough, I will honor that subject by building the tallest statue in the world.

—Frédéric August Bartholdi

There is an attraction and a charm in the colossal that is not subject to ordinary theories of art.

—Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel

Inside [the Statue of Liberty] we seem to be looking up to the lantern of a gothic cathedral into dim distance. It is rather dark, but the gloom is pierced by thousands of little eyelets of light marking the holes left for the rivets.

—The Morning News: The Latest Telegrams of the Day, Paris, 14 May 1884

M

agnificent feats of artistry and engineering were accomplished in

the nineteenth century—the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Washington Monument, to name three.

Surely another notable nineteenth-century feat was the creation and construction

Writes Elizabeth Mitchell cheekily in Liberty’s Torch:

Facing page: Dream under Construction (60˝ × 40˝ )

People went in droves to visit, particularly on Sunday, which a reporter pointed out “is the Parisian holiday for all sorts of diversions from sightseeing to a revolution.”

of the Statue of Liberty, which principally employed two Frenchmen, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel.

Both were imbued with persistent ambition,

Everyone toiling on the statue shared,

exceptional creative skills, and a love of the

whether consciously or unconsciously, a

colossal. One was an artist, the other a civil

kindred destiny. By helping to create and

engineer.

build the colossus, they honored the Amer-

Bartholdi and Eiffel were assisted by

ican ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of

an army of some 600 skilled artisans and

happiness as well as the friendship between

craftsmen trained in the tradition of French

France and America. In committing to such

building skills dating back to the Middle

a task, as political as it was artistic and tech-

Ages. The artisans and craftsmen were

nologically audacious, the notion of a statue

employed by the foundry Gaget, Gauthier

was a tangible rejection of the repression of

et Cie workshops, which was tasked with

Napoleon III, who was deposed in 1873.

building, assembling, and, last, disassem-

When Bartholdi returned from his

bling the statue for shipment to America.

first trip to America in 1871, he worked

The foundry was located on what was,

intermittently during the next four years

at the time, an undeveloped section on the

designing and refining the statue’s form.

northwest border of Paris, a few blocks from

By 1875, he’d created a 4´ tall clay model

the Parc Monceau, one of the city’s most

of Lady Liberty, which was approved by

elegant parks. Sometimes the statue was

Laboulaye and named “The Statue of Liberty

affectionately called “Lady of the Park.”

Enlightening the World.” That same year

Today the area has been transformed into a stylish neighborhood.

As Lady Liberty rose above the courtyard of the foundry, she was easily spotted from

iv

Timing

the Franco-American Union was created with Laboulaye as chairman to raise funds in France for Lady Liberty’s construction.

In 1877, the American Committee for The

afar as she towered over Paris’s low-slung

Statue of Liberty was formed and charged

nineteenth-century rooftops. As a result, she

with the seemingly Herculean job of fund-

became a lively tourist attraction. Bartholdi

raising for construction of the pedestal and

ventured that some 300,000 people visited

foundation. Additionally, two other important

Gaget, Gauthier et Cie to view his rising

events occurred in 1877: The U.S. Congress

Lady. In fact, throngs were so great that

formally accepted the statue as a gift from

Bartholdi, forever searching for new ways to

the people of France, and President Ulysses

fundraise, decided to charge admission to

S. Grant signed the bill officially designating

view his Lady up close.

Bedloe’s Island as the statue’s site. v

M

agnificent feats of artistry and engineering were accomplished in

the nineteenth century—the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Washington Monument, to name three.

Surely another notable nineteenth-century feat was the creation and construction

Writes Elizabeth Mitchell cheekily in Liberty’s Torch:

Facing page: Dream under Construction (60˝ × 40˝ )

People went in droves to visit, particularly on Sunday, which a reporter pointed out “is the Parisian holiday for all sorts of diversions from sightseeing to a revolution.”

of the Statue of Liberty, which principally employed two Frenchmen, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel.

Both were imbued with persistent ambition,

Everyone toiling on the statue shared,

exceptional creative skills, and a love of the

whether consciously or unconsciously, a

colossal. One was an artist, the other a civil

kindred destiny. By helping to create and

engineer.

build the colossus, they honored the Amer-

Bartholdi and Eiffel were assisted by

ican ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of

an army of some 600 skilled artisans and

happiness as well as the friendship between

craftsmen trained in the tradition of French

France and America. In committing to such

building skills dating back to the Middle

a task, as political as it was artistic and tech-

Ages. The artisans and craftsmen were

nologically audacious, the notion of a statue

employed by the foundry Gaget, Gauthier

was a tangible rejection of the repression of

et Cie workshops, which was tasked with

Napoleon III, who was deposed in 1873.

building, assembling, and, last, disassem-

When Bartholdi returned from his

bling the statue for shipment to America.

first trip to America in 1871, he worked

The foundry was located on what was,

intermittently during the next four years

at the time, an undeveloped section on the

designing and refining the statue’s form.

northwest border of Paris, a few blocks from

By 1875, he’d created a 4´ tall clay model

the Parc Monceau, one of the city’s most

of Lady Liberty, which was approved by

elegant parks. Sometimes the statue was

Laboulaye and named “The Statue of Liberty

affectionately called “Lady of the Park.”

Enlightening the World.” That same year

Today the area has been transformed into a stylish neighborhood.

As Lady Liberty rose above the courtyard of the foundry, she was easily spotted from

iv

Timing

the Franco-American Union was created with Laboulaye as chairman to raise funds in France for Lady Liberty’s construction.

In 1877, the American Committee for The

afar as she towered over Paris’s low-slung

Statue of Liberty was formed and charged

nineteenth-century rooftops. As a result, she

with the seemingly Herculean job of fund-

became a lively tourist attraction. Bartholdi

raising for construction of the pedestal and

ventured that some 300,000 people visited

foundation. Additionally, two other important

Gaget, Gauthier et Cie to view his rising

events occurred in 1877: The U.S. Congress

Lady. In fact, throngs were so great that

formally accepted the statue as a gift from

Bartholdi, forever searching for new ways to

the people of France, and President Ulysses

fundraise, decided to charge admission to

S. Grant signed the bill officially designating

view his Lady up close.

Bedloe’s Island as the statue’s site. v

Some immigrants, obviously ill, were

violently, prodding them with sticks . . . as

immediately sent to Ellis Island Hospital

they hustled the immigrants onto the ferries

directly from their ships. Passage through

and barges.”

the portal then began in earnest for the

Finally, at Ellis Island, the immigrants

remaining passengers, who, finally, were al-

climbed the staircase to the Registry Hall in

lowed to disembark. Terra firma, at last. But

Ellis Island’s sprawling main building. This

not for long. Struggling with their children

was the immigrant’s first test on Ellis Island.

and belongings—sacks, bundles, baskets,

But most didn’t know it. Looking on from

suitcases, backpacks, rucksacks, crumpled

above the staircase, inspectors secretly

packages—they were swiftly crammed onto

eyed each immigrant, searching for any

ferries or barges and hauled the fifteen-min-

indications of infirmities, while shouting and

ute, half-mile to Ellis Island.

shoving guards further unnerved the spent

In the book Imported Americans, author Broughton Brandenburg describes how

The Great Hall (41 1/2˝ × 67 1/4˝ )

and likely confused travelers.

As the immigrants approached the top

“. . . the dock men displayed great unnec-

of the steps, chalk markings on the backs

essary roughness, sometimes shoving them

of immigrants were sometimes added.

God Bless America (40˝ × 26˝ ) vi

vii

Some immigrants, obviously ill, were

violently, prodding them with sticks . . . as

immediately sent to Ellis Island Hospital

they hustled the immigrants onto the ferries

directly from their ships. Passage through

and barges.”

the portal then began in earnest for the

Finally, at Ellis Island, the immigrants

remaining passengers, who, finally, were al-

climbed the staircase to the Registry Hall in

lowed to disembark. Terra firma, at last. But

Ellis Island’s sprawling main building. This

not for long. Struggling with their children

was the immigrant’s first test on Ellis Island.

and belongings—sacks, bundles, baskets,

But most didn’t know it. Looking on from

suitcases, backpacks, rucksacks, crumpled

above the staircase, inspectors secretly

packages—they were swiftly crammed onto

eyed each immigrant, searching for any

ferries or barges and hauled the fifteen-min-

indications of infirmities, while shouting and

ute, half-mile to Ellis Island.

shoving guards further unnerved the spent

In the book Imported Americans, author Broughton Brandenburg describes how

The Great Hall (41 1/2˝ × 67 1/4˝ )

and likely confused travelers.

As the immigrants approached the top

“. . . the dock men displayed great unnec-

of the steps, chalk markings on the backs

essary roughness, sometimes shoving them

of immigrants were sometimes added.

God Bless America (40˝ × 26˝ ) vi

vii

Magnificent art complements an unvarnished history of the Statue of Liberty and its relationship to immigration policy in the United States throughout the years “Could there be a book more timely, more pertinent for America today than Lady Liberty?

I do not think so. The book is a beautiful reminder of what makes us so special, blended with the history that tells us that if America loses its welcoming soul, we have lost what makes us so special.”

—David Lawrence Jr., retired publisher of the Miami Herald

“In an inspiring story about a statue named Lady Liberty, we find out how she was conceived in one artist’s colossal imagination and given everlasting meaning by another. This epic journey criss-crosses time and the globe to show how two works of art conjoin to underscore the rightful dignity belonging to the words immigrant, refugee, and laborer while highlighting our nation’s still unfulfilled ideals. I had no idea, until now, about the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) needed to complete America’s symbol of hope and freedom.”

—Dr. Sheril Antonio, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University

“Joan Marans Dim tells the origin story of the statue and its significance in the overall story of the immigrant experience in the United States. Award-winning artist Antonio Masi’s expressive artwork lends powerful visuals to the telling with compelling images of the statue itself and the Ellis Island gateway, as well as the faces of individual immigrants and families—faces that express both the optimism and the struggle . . . enlightening and affecting.”

—Anne Hevener, Editor-in-Chief of Artists Magazine, Watercolor Artist, and Pastel Journal ANTONIO MASI is a world-class and award-winning artist often honored for his depiction of bridges; his magnificent paintings are exclusively featured in the book New York’s Golden Age of Bridges. Masi is also president of the American Watercolor Society. His artistry has been featured in Artist’s Magazine, PBS–Sunday Arts, NBC-Today, Newsday, and many other venues. He also participated in The New York Times’s video City Living: A Tale of Two Bridges. A sought-after artistic master and scholar, he travels the world as a teacher, demonstrator, and lecturer.

JOAN MARANS DIM is a historian, novelist, and essayist. Her published work includes the novel Recollections of a Rotten Kid. She also co-authored two histories—the saga of New York University, Miracle on Washington Square, and, most recently, New York’s Golden Age of Bridges. Her essays and op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Daily News, Barron’s, Investor’s Business Daily, The Huffington Post, and many other publications. She also participated in The New York Times’s video City Living: A Tale of Two Bridges. Critics, citing the scope and depth of her work, describe her prose as laced with impressive depth, a droll wit, and an elegant narrative.

New York | fordhampress.com

September 2019 104 pages, 8½ x 11, 34 color illustrations 978-0-8232-8533-4, cloth, $29.95 New York Masterpieces, Revealed Empire State Editions HISTORY | ART | URBAN STUDIES

Media contact: Kate O’Brien-Nicholson Fordham University Press bkaobrien@fordham.edu 646-868-4204 @Kateonich