Assembly

Once the pedestal was completed in 1886, the Statue was reassembled with surprising speed by a fearless construction crew - many of whom were new immigrants. The rest of the Statue's elements followed without the use of scaffolding - Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. All construction materials were hoisted up by steam driven cranes and derricks. In order to sculpt the Statue's skin Eiffel used the repoussé technique developed by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. This technique was the process of molding light-weight copper sheets by hammering them onto the Statue's hallowed wooden framework. The last section to be completed was the Statue of Liberty's face which remained veiled until the Statue's dedication. Although Fort Wood remained on Bedloe's Island, it was not an obstacle in the design, construction, or reassembly of the Statue of Liberty. Instead, the star-shaped structure became a part of the Statue's base - the pedestal sits within its walls.

National

Construction workers who assembled the Statue on Bedloe's Island. Many of these workers were new immigrants.

National Park Service, Statue of Liberty

An illustration of the Statue being reconstructed on its pedestal on Bedloe's Island.

The Statue amidst smoke from a gun salute during the Statue’s unveiling on October 28, 1886.

National Park Service, Statue of Liberty