Wow! Talk about a birthday present!
The torch on display at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. I thought it would be bigger. |
The Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886.
(Coincidentally, the first known ticker-tape parade took place on Oct. 28, 1886 in New York City when office workers spontaneously threw ticker tape into the streets as the Statue of Liberty was dedicated.)
Friday's ceremony also will be marked by a water flotilla, actress Sigourney Weaver reading Emma Lazarus' poem and a naturalization ceremony for 125 people.
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus, 1883
The statue, including the pedestal and base, is scheduled to close for up to a year beginning on Oct. 29, 2011, so that a secondary staircase and other safety features can be installed; Liberty Island will remain open.
No comments:
Post a Comment