Who designed the Statue of Liberty, presented by France to the United States?

Frédéric Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty, which France presented to the United States. Bartholdi was a French sculptor who created the monumental copper statue honoring the alliance between France and the United States.

The statue was formally titled Liberty Enlightening the World. Its figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty, holding a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet in her left. The tablet bears the date July 4, 1776, written in Roman numerals.

Gustave Eiffel and his engineering team designed the statue’s internal iron framework, while Bartholdi directed the sculptural design and construction. The statue was assembled in Paris before being dismantled, shipped across the Atlantic, and rebuilt on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Its famous association with immigration became especially strong after the nearby Ellis Island immigration station opened in 1892, six years after the dedication.