Thegiantessstandsonhertinyislandasthoughshehasbeenthereforever.ShecarriesatorchforAmerica，forfriendship，forfreedomandhopeand，itcanbeargued，forthinkingbig.Fortwodecadestheladyoflibertywaslittlemorethanagrandiosenotion，animprobabledreamcon—coctedatadinnerparty.Nooneknowswhatwasservedatthatdinnerin1865，althoughthecuisinewascertainlyFrench，sinceittookplaceatGlatigny，acountryes—tatenearVersailles.Nordideverymemberoftheintellectualelitewhogracedtheboardthateveninggodowninhistory.ButoneguestwasFredericAugusteBartholdi，a31一year—oldsculptorfromAlsacewhohadbeencommissionedtodoabustofhishost，Edouard—RenedeLaboulaye.Laboulaye，54，aliberal—mindedlawprofessorattheCollegedeFranceinParis，wasaknowledgeableAmericanophile，particularlyin—terestedintheU.S.Constitution.Asthemensmokedintheconservatoryafterdinner，Laboulayemadeacasefora“fraternityoffeelings’’betweenFranceandtheU.S.“IfamonumentweretobebuiltinAmericaasamemorialtotheirindependence，Ishouldthinkitnaturalforittobebuiltbyunitedeffort，acommonworkofbothnations，”hesaid.Theremarkstuckinthemindoftheyoungsculptor，whohadbeeninterestedinmonumentalworkssincehesawthesphinxinEgyptnearlyadecadebefore.ButitwasnotuntilsixyearshadpassedthatLaboulayeurgedBartholditopursuetheidea.“Gotoseethatcountry，hetoldsculptor.“ProposetoourfriendsovertheretojoinwithUSinmakingamonument.’’
OnJune21，1871，inwhathecalled“thepearlyradianceofabeauti—fulmorning.”BartholdisteamedintotheU.S.“Attheviewofthehar—borofNewYork，thedefiniteplanwasfirstcleartomyeyes，”hewrote.“Itiscertainlyherethatmystatuemustrise，herewherepeoplegettheirfirstviewoftheNewWorld.’’
Hesketchedawomanverylikean1867figure，ProgressBringingLighttoAsia，whichhehadproposedasalighthousefortheSuezCanal.HemailedthedrawingtoLaboulayeandinformedhim，“I’vefoundanadmirablespotBedloe’SIslandinthemiddleofthebay.’’ForfivemonthsBartholdi，equippedwithlettersofintroductiontoofficialsandartpatrons，touredthenation.HemetwithPresidentUlyssesS.GrantandpoetHenryWadsworhLongfellow，amongothers，topromotehisprojectandfigureout，ashesaid，“ifthedreamcouldbecomereality.’’Therewasnooutpouringofpracticalsupport.Nevertheless，backinFrance，Bartholdibeganplanningtheconstruc—tionoftheladyhecalled“myAmerican.’’Thebiggestfullfigurestatuethenextant（theU.S.S.R.nowboaststhelargestone，Volgograd’SMotherland）wasa76一footstatueofSaintCharlesBorromeoinArona，Italy.Bartholdifoundthatwork“deplorable’’and“coarse’’butdecidedtOcopyitsmethodofconstruction.Thincoppersheets（3／32inchthick）wouldbeshapedwithamethodcalledrepousseandfastenedtoaninter—nalstructureofironbeams，tobedesignedbyAlexandreGustaveEiffel，asympatheticengineerwhofound“acharminthecolossal.”Hewouldlat—oustower.threeyears，inwhichhewo~edonothercommissions.Bar.tholdialsomadeanuntoldnumberofdrawingsandmodelsofLibertyEnlighteningtheWorld.Thedefinitivefour—footmodel，madeofclay.wasfinishedin1875.Ashisinspiration，hewasrumoredtohaveusedeveryonefromIsabellaSinger，widowofthesewingmachineinventor，tofuturewifeJeanne——milieBaheuxdePuysieuxtoastreetwalkerofthePi—galledistrict.ThemostconvincingstorycamefromaFrenchsenatorwhotoldofjoiningBartholdiattheopera.“Inoticedanagedwomansittinginacomer，”heissaidtohaverelated.“Whenthelightfellonherface，IturnedtoBartholdiandsaidtohim，‘Whythat’SyourmodelfortheStatueofLiberty!’‘Yes，’heansweredcalmly.‘It’Smymother.…BytheAmericancentennialyear，Laboulayewasdiligent