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A Closer Look At The Statue Of Liberty Before It Was Green
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 6, 2013
Modified Nov 6, 2013
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 6, 2013
Modified Nov 6, 2013
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We've looked at a lot of old photos of the Statue of Liberty when it was being built, and of course we knew it wasn't always green... but since those old photos are black & white we've never really seen Lady Liberty in her original copper brown hue. So when we saw this postcard circulating, we got curious. Turns out someone colored in one of those old photos we've visited before to show what she looked like until she naturally oxidized and turned green around 1920. Behold!
Her current torch, replaced 25 years ago, is a copper flame covered in 24-carat gold, and has a similar shiny appearance to how the entire statue used to look:
Here's a little more on the Lady's transformation:
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copper
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lady liberty
statue of liberty
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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