Frédéric BARTHOLDI draws his Statue of Liberty.

Frédéric BARTHOLDI (1834.1904)

Signed autograph letter.

Two pages in-8°. Belfort, April 10, 1880

Extraordinary document of Bartholdi drawing his Statue of Liberty in pen.

“Sir, The photo that I sent you was taken photographically from a pen drawing. It had been repeated five times. I had one arranged for a brochure by removing all the background of characters and the rays up to a certain height around the statue like this [follows the drawing] and this gave good results; This is what gave me the idea of ​​offering you the same. It was never made of wood and this is the only engraving I had to offer you. I regret not being able to better respond to your desires, I have no other excuse to give you, except that I sent you what I could, having nothing else. But try some test and you will see that the result is not defective. Please accept, dear Sir, with my regrets, the expression of my best feelings. Bartholdi. Belfort, April 10, 1880”

The result of collaborative work between Bartholdi, Viollet-le-Duc then Eiffel, the statue requires colossal funds and a much longer development than initially planned: while it was to be inaugurated in 1876 (bicentenary of the Declaration of Independence), it was, in 1880, still under construction on the Plaine-Monceau site. Dominating Paris, it has become one of the capital's major attractions. It was only in 1886, ten years late, that it was transported to New York and then inaugurated in the presence of President Grover Cleveland on October 28.

The photo referred to in this letter is most likely the one that appears on the famous promotional postcard of the monument: we find the rays of light in the same place as in the drawing in our letter.