Statue of Liberty
A Transatlantic Story
A universally recognized icon, the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most beloved of all American symbols. Yet no one living in 1885, when the crated monument arrived in New York harbour, could have foreseen the central place the Statue of Liberty would come to occupy in the American imagination. Her improbable beginnings, her trans-Atlantic connections, and the changing meanings she has held for each American generation are the subject of this engaging history.
With the particular insights of a cultural historian and scholar of French history, Edward Berenson begins the Statue of Liberty's story with the French intellectuals who had the idea to commemorate American liberty with a great monument. Without discussing the project with anyone in the U. S. , they designed the statue, announced the gift, and directed where it should go. The initial American response, not surprisingly, was less than enthusiastic, and the project encountered countless difficulties before the statue was at last unveiled to the public in 1886. Since then, Berenson shows, this cherished national symbol has been linked with such high ideals as the emancipation of the slaves, Tocqueville's idea of orderly liberty, opportunity for "huddled masses", and, in the years since 9/11, the freedom and resilience of New York and the USA.
About the Author
Edward Berenson is professor of history, director of the Institute of French Studies, and director of the Center for International Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, New York University. His previous books include "Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa".
Reviews
"Who knew what a history lies behind the Statue of Liberty, winding through the American Civil War, the Paris Commune, the determination of its creator Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and the hucksterism of Joseph Pulitzer? Edward Berenson re-creates the narrative with fascinating detail and personal warmth" – Joyce Appleby, author of "The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism"
"Edward Berenson's 'The Statue of Liberty' is cultural history at its finest. As Berenson shows with verve and discernment, the Statue of Liberty is a highly contested memory site. Thus throughout its history, the statue has functioned as a litmus test or projection screen for competing conceptions of American freedom. Artfully constructed and gracefully written, Berenson's book is destined to become the standard work on Lady Liberty's legacy" – Richard Wolin, author of "The Wind from the East: French Intellectuals, the Cultural Revolution, and the Legacy of the 1960s"
"This is a remarkable book because so much of the story it tells is unexpected. Everyone thinks they know Statue of Liberty, but they are wrong. Ed Berenson follows her surprising history from start to finish in a fast-paced and highly readable tale that never disappoints. The great colossus finds her place in nineteenth-century artistic production and technology as well as in recent popular culture and politics. Rather than ending with the statue's unveiling, Berenson follows the story right up to the present day, showing how the Lady's meaning has changed from one generation to the next, At times humorous, at other moments elegiac, 'The Statue of Liberty' is utterly spellbinding and a jewel of microhistorical analysis" – Ruth Harris, author of "Dreyfus: Emotion, Politics and the Scandal of the Century", winner of the Wolfson Prize
"This important work examines not only the evolution of the statue, but the ever-evolving American relationship to freedom and immigration. Berenson here explores the wide range of perceptions that gave the statue meaning and voice – from its very conception, through its contemporary status as a beloved (yet fraught) American icon" – Melissa J. Martens, Museum of Jewish Heritage
"There is no better symbol to represent the long friendship between France and the United States than the Statue of Liberty. Edward Berenson's fascinating new book brings to light the various meanings the Statue has held since its creation more than 125 years ago" – Francois Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States
