On our first full day in New York we board a ferry at Battery Park to visit Liberty and Ellis Islands.
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island
- 'Liberty Enlightening the World' was a gift from France to America in 1886 as a celebration of the unions victory in the American Revolution and the abolition of slavery. The head of Liberty was displayed at the World's Fair Expo in Paris in 1878.
- The Statue of Liberty is constructed of iron and clad in copper. Over the years, the copper has turned green due to oxidation. This patina protects the statue from further deterioration. The torch was replaced in 1984 with a new copper one covered in 24k gold leaf.
- In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was the tallest iron structure ever built. Gustav Eiffel was behind the design of Liberty's spine. He went on to build the Eiffel Tower.
- In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
- The Statue of Liberty has been hit by approximately 600 bolts of lightning every year since it was built.
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- Damage to Liberty's torch bearing arm occurred in 1916 during WWI by German saboteurs who set off an explosion. The stairs to the torch have been closed ever since.
- After the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001, the Statue of Liberty was closed. The pedestal was opened again in 2004 and the statue in 2009. Only a limited number of people can go up to the crown. It was also closed in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy and reopened on Independence Day 2013.
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Ellis Island
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Ellis Island
- Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station and closed in 1954.
- The island's history includes being an execution site to hang men convicted of piracy; housing a tavern that was built by island owner Samuel Ellis; serving as a military fortification and munition store during the Civil War; and then becoming a centre for immigration in 1892.
- Ellis Island expanded its size using landfill from its original 3 acres (1.2 hectares) to 27 acres (11 hectares) to house the immigration centre, hospital and psychiatric wards.
- The island was the gateway to the USA for 12 million immigrants with the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom greeting them as they approached America.
- Famous people who have passed through Ellis Island immigration include composer Irving Berlin, Hollywood actors Claudette Colbert and Charlie Chaplin, bodybuilder Charles Atlas, and psychologists Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.
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Installation work by JR
Art Installation at Ellis Island Hospital
'Unframed Ellis Island' is a project by French artist JR that aims to bring the memory of Ellis Island to life. Ellis Island was the entry point for millions of immigrants who left their families and belongings behind to start a new life, but also had the fear of being rejected and sent back when they arrived at the immigration centre.
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The immigration hospital was closed in 1954. Artist JR created many installations throughout the hospital inspired by the archives from Ellis Island. The site specific work incorporates archival photographs taken in and around the hospital from a hundred years ago. Visitors to the hospital can experience both the present and the past together.
View 'Ellis', a short film directed by JR and written by Eric Roth starring Robert de Niro:
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