Inside the Statue

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi built the Statue of Liberty out of copper, a lightweight metal critical for such a large work. To shape the metal, he first made full-size sections of the Statue in plaster. For each section, carpenters built a wooden form duplicating the plaster shape, and artisans placed thin copper sheets on the backside of these forms and hammered them into shape using a technique called repoussé. Because of the Statue’s immense size, Bartholdi turned to engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel for a revolutionary support system. Eiffel designed a framework of four wrought-iron columns connected to a vast interior strapwork of armature bars, steel brackets called saddles, and rivets that support the Statue’s copper skin. This innovative support system resembles the famous tower in Paris that bears Eiffel’s name.

Bayonne, New Jersey · United States