In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was erected on Liberty Island in New York Harbor as a gift from France to the city.
Over time, it has become an integral part of the New York experience, attracting millions of visitors from around the world."
Although renowned for its vibrant green hue, it may come as a surprise to many that the Statue of Liberty was not always this color – it is actually supposed to be made of copper.
By 1906, the statue had undergone a complete transformation, as the oxidization had formed a green patina that enveloped its surface.
By 1906, the statue had undergone a complete change, as the oxidization had formed a green patina that enveloped its surface.
This patina serves as a protective layer, safeguarding the original copper underneath.
Given the statue's altered appearance caused by years of oxidization, some Americans are calling for the Statue of Liberty to be cleaned.
Blogger Scott Alexander humorously proposed this idea on his platform Astral Codez Ten, as part of his whimsical campaign for the US presidency, it's since been hailed as an 'awesome' idea.
"The Statue of Liberty is made of copper, and was originally a shiny orange-gold color. Over the years, it has tarnished to its current faded-green," he wrote.
"This is a little too on the nose as a metaphor for American society. As part of a general agenda of restoring liberty nationwide, I would order the Statue of Liberty cleaned until it is back to its original shining-gold state, and restored yearly thereafter."
Others, meanwhile, admitted they thought the statue was always blue. The public protested the move as they were now familiar with the iconic blue color.
One person said: But the patination protects the copper. Why would they want to remove that layer of protection?
A second said: green is the most fitting color for the USA
A third wrote: I mean, I LOVE copper, but cleaning it would just be a waste of time and tax money
Someone else said: Of course, it wasn’t green! This is a patina that takes time to develop, and the artist knew what was to come because copper/bronze were not new materials when she was made!
Another said: The oxidation protects copper from further damage. Cleaning it will only start the process again, weakening the copper and potentially damaging the statue. She has lasted 147 years, leave her alone.
Someone else pointed out: It will not be very good for the environment, Just imagine how much metal polish you’d have to use and it will only last a few years before it all turns green again.
The Statue of Liberty had previously been restored around its 100th anniversary, and although some work was done, such as repairing holes and replacing the spire and top of the torch, it was never fully restored to its original color.
