Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty A centennial conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty ("Liberty Enlightening the World") occurred between 1984 and 1986. The Statue of Liberty, by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, is a colossal artwork on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, and is a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Much of the restoration effort was based on unprecedented restorative methods, as metallurgical repair work on such a large scale had never been attempted. Many scientists, engineers, government organizations, and professional consultants evaluated and dealt with the various problems and tasks facing the restoration effort.
Statue of Liberty carries a "tabula ansata" inscribed in Roman numerals with "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (July 4, 1776), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet as she walks forward. The statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, a national park tourism destination, and is a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad. Bartholdi was inspired by a French law professor and politician, Édouard René de Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865 that any monument raised to U.S. independence would properly be a joint project of the French and