17 Jun: The Arrival Of Lady Liberty
Still the tallest statue in the USA, the Statue of Liberty arrived from France – in no less than 214 crates – in New York City on 17th June, 1885.
Costing just $10m in today’s money, the Lady went on to symbolise the immigrant journey – even though the designers and engineers behind it had no such intention. And it wasn’t supposed to be green, either – that’s because it’s oxidized.
In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion consider whether NYC bagged themselves a bargain, reveal the origins of the ‘ticker tape parade’, and wonder if they could ever do something so epic for their Mums…
Further Reading:
• The Statue of Liberty: Building an Icon (The B1M, 2017):
• History on ‘How The Statue of Liberty Became An Icon’:
https://www.history.com/news/statue-of-liberty-icon-building
• Reuters fact-check: why Lady Liberty is NOT an enslaved black woman (2020):
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-statue-liberty-design-idUSKBN24B2L1
This episode first aired in 2021