The Rich History of Liberty
| The Statue of Liberty is a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States. Left: Unveiling of the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World (1886) by Edward Moran. Oil on canvas. The J. Clarence Davies Collection, Museum of the City of New York. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, it was closed for reasons of safety and security; the pedestal reopened in 2004 and the statue in 2009, with limits on the number of visitors allowed to ascend to the crown. |
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| The statue, including the pedestal and base, is scheduled to close for up to a year beginning on October 29, 2011, so that a secondary staircase and other safety features can be installed; Liberty Island will remain open. Public access to the balcony surrounding the torch has been barred for safety reasons since 1916. | |
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| A few days after the terrorist attacks September 11, artist Mike McNeilly erected a large mural entitled "9-11" with the words "God Bless America" beneath the images of a New York City firefighter, an American Flag and the face of the Statue of Liberty. The mural was erected on a privately owned building with the consent of the building's owner. On September 21, 2001 the City of Los Angeles issued an order requiring the artist to remove the "9-11" mural. McNeilly refused. read article> |
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