Yesterday was the anniversary of the day when U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor in 1886. As I'm sure you know, the NYC Statue of Liberty was offered by the French citizens to their American friends in recognition of the two countries’ commitment to liberty and democracy and their alliance during the American Revolutionary War. The one I photographed (on the Isle des cygnes) is one of the 3 replicas that we have in Paris.
Beautiful shot Eric!
ReplyDeleteA grand statue! I like your angle for the shot.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot! This was close to where we stayed in the 16th, directly across from Parc Andre Citroen. We never got to the Parc or to the Isle! Too much to do in 8 days. It seems so long ago now.
ReplyDeleteLove the picture -- glad to see the Autumn skies are still bleu over there. Point of fact: the French sculptor Bartholdi only offered the Statue of Liberty to the USA because the country to which he originally wanted to give it to, Egypt (it was conceived as a statue denouncing African's enslavement of African peoples), rejected it. Bartholdi, ever the self-promoter, re-jiggerd it as "Liberty" and wheedled the French gov't to front it as a gift, but 90% of the cost to ship it and erect it was raised by Americans, pennies from schoolchildren, dollars from robber barons. The poem that was installed at its base, which is often recited as if it were official American immigration policy, is nothing but a bit of PR written by Emma Lazarus as part of the campaign to raise money for the pedestal; the poem wasn't even installed neil 1903. This was a purely private art project, and the "involvement" of the French public & gov't merely window dressing. I'm glad that the French like the connection so much, but that connection and "generosity" came long after the fact.
ReplyDeleteI see ours almost every morning—and think about nos amis les français. Even if we weren't your first choice as recipients, merci tout de même!
ReplyDeleteNice click ...
ReplyDeleteParis is one of the most beautiful places that most tourists visit in France. Paris is also known as 'City of Love' with all its top destinations.
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Eric, we really do know of Edouard de Laboulaye and the Franco-American Union, about the assistance of Eiffel and Viollet-le-Duc, about whose pennies contributed to the pedestal and who it is made the figure itself possible. And we think the gesture is as beautiful as Liberty herself.
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