How many original Statues of Liberty can you find in New York City? The answer is: more than you think!
For example, the statue in the photo is called the Original Statue of Liberty, and it’s located on 61st Street on the Upper East Side. It’s cast in bronze from an original plaster model by sculptor Bartholdi and is approximately 16 times smaller than the original Statue of Liberty (without the “original”) in New York Harbor.
It appeared there in 2011, when it was purchased by billionaire developer Leonard Stern, owner of the 667 Madison building. The French ambassador and a representative of the New York City administration attended the unveiling, and press materials touted it as a rare, exact replica of the original Statue of Liberty.
Leonard’s motif is deeply moving — his father, Max Stern, immigrated through Ellis Island in 1926 and recalled seeing the Statue of Liberty as he entered New York Harbor. Therefore, this small Lady Liberty on Madison Avenue is also a family gesture about immigration and freedom.
Incidentally, the Statue of Liberty on 61st Street is quite interesting to examine, because up close you can see all the details of the sculpture that are barely visible from the ground on the larger Statue of Liberty. For example, there are chains and broken shackles at her feet. In the smaller version, you can much more clearly see the folds of her clothing, her face, her plaque, her crown, her hand holding the torch, and the entire gesture of the figure.
📍The Original Statue Of Liberty / 667 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10065
