Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the
ground floor,
the room to the right of the ticket desk houses temporary ex-
hibits. To the left are exhibits covering Bartholdi's works commissioned in Alsatian cities,
commonly dedicated to military heroes.
Climbingthestairstothemiddlefloor,youpassaportraitoftheartist.Roomsre-cre-
ate Bartholdi's high-society flat in Paris. The dining room is lined with portraits of his ar-
istocraticfamily.ThescenesontheceilingrepresentpartsofBartholdi'sFreemasonphilo-
sophy. In the next room hangs a beautiful portrait of the sculptor (by Jean Benner), facing
his mother (on a red chair). Bartholdi was very close to his mom, writing her daily letters
when he was working in New York. Many see his mother's face in the Statue of Liberty.
The rest of the floor shows off Bartholdi's French work. Small wax models let you
trace the artist's creative process. A glass case is filled with his tools of the trade. Notice
how his patriotic pieces tend to have one arm raised—
Vive la France
...God bless Amer-
ica... Freedom!
A room dedicated to Bartholdi's most famous French work, the
Lion of Belfort,
cel-
ebrates the Alsatian town that fought so fiercely in 1871 that it was never annexed into
Germany.PhotosshowtheredsandstonelionsittingregallybelowthemightyVaubanfort-
ress of Belfort—a symbol of French spirit standing strong against Germany. Small models
giveasenseofitsgargantuanscale.(Ifyou'relinkingBurgundywithAlsacebycar,you'll
pass the city of Belfort and see signs directing you to the
Lion.
)
ThetopfloorisdedicatedtoBartholdi'sAmericanworks—thepaintings,photos,and
statues that Bartholdi made during his many travels to the States. You'll see statues of
Columbus pointing as if he knew where he was going, and Lafayette (who was only 19
years old when he came to America's aid) with George Washington.
One room is dedicated to the evolution and completion of Bartholdi's dream of
a Statue of Liberty. Fascinating photos show the Eiffel-designed core, the frame being
covered with plaster, and then the hand-hammered copper plating, which was ultimately
riveted to the frame. The statue was assembled in Paris, then dismantled and shipped to
New York, in 1886...10 years late. The big ear in the exhibit is half-size.
Though the statue was a gift from France, the US had to come up with the cash to
buildapedestal.Thiswasatoughsell,butBartholdiwasdeterminedtoseehisstatueerec-
ted. On 10 trips to the US, he worked to raise funds and lobbied for construction, bringing
with him this painting and a full-size model of the torch—which the statue would ulti-
mately hold. (Lucky for Bartholdi and his cause, his cousin was the French ambassador to
the US.)
Eventually, the project came together—the pedestal was built, and the Statue of
Liberty has welcomed waves of immigrants into New York ever since. Thank you,
Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi.
