News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-07-10
THE GREAT STATUE.
BARTHOLDPS EMBLEM OF SWEET
LIBERTY.
Which Will Overlook New York HarbOr
When the Money is Raised to Build the
Foundation,

Charles Barnard has contributed to
the July st. Nicholas very graphic &C
count of Bartholdi's great Statue of
Liberty, from which we make the fol-
lowing extract: "In the first place,
there had to be a sketch or model. This
was figure of the tatue in clay, to
give an idea of how it would look. The
public approved of this model, and then
the first real study of the work was
made-a plaster statue, just one-six-
teenth the size of the intended statue.
''The next step was to make another
model just four times as large, or one
| fourth the size of the real statue. This
quarter-size model being finished, then
came the task of making the full-size
model in plaster. But this had to be
made in sections. For instance, the
first section would include the base on
which the figure stood, the feet, and
the hem OF the garment. The next sec
ton would include a circle quite round
the long flowing dress, just above the
hem. The third section would stand
above this and show more of the folds
of the dress, and reach part way up to
the knee. In like manner, the whole
figure would be divided into sections.
''The quarter-size model was first
| divided in this way, and then to lay out
the full-size plan it was only necessary
to make plan of each section four
times as large as the section actually
was in the model. Every part of the
model was covered with marks OF dots
for guides, and by measuring from dot
to dot, increasing the measurement
| 1-fa
the larger model, an exact copy Just
four times as large was made. For
each of these large sections, however,
there had to be support of some kind,
before the plaster could be laid on.
Having marked on the floor an outline
plan of the enlarged section, a wooden
framework was built up inside the
plan. Then upon this frame work
plaster was roughly spread. 1t soon
resembled, in rude way, the CORE
spending section of the quarter-size
model, but four times as large. Their
the workmen copied in this pile of
plaster every feature of the model Sec
ton, measuring and measuring, again
and again, from dot to dot, correcting
| by means of plumb-lines, and patiently
trying and retrying till an exact copy
only in proportions four times as large
was attained.
"The great irregularity of the drapery
made 1t necessary to put three hundred
marks on each section, besides twelve
hundred smaller guide-marks, in order
to insure an exact correspondence in
proportion between the enlarged sec
tons Of the full-size model and the sec
tons of the quarter-size model. Each
of these marks, moreover, had to be
measured three times on both models,
and after that came all the remeasure-
ments to prove that not single mistake
had been made.
"When these sections in plaster had
been completed, then came the work of
making wooden molds that should be
exact copies both in size and modelling
of the plaster. These were all carefully
madQ by hand. 1t was long, tedious
and difficult. Each piece was a mold
of part of the statue, exactly fitting
every projection, depression and curve
of that portion of the figure or drapery.
Into these wooden molds sheets of
metal were laid, and pressed or beaten
down till they fitted the irregular sur
faces of the molds. All the repOuSSe, or
hammered work, was done from the
back, or inside, of the sheet. If the
mold is an exact copy of part of the
statue, it is easy to see that the sheet of
metal, when made to fit it, will, when
taken out and turned over, be copy of
that part of the statue.
"These sheets were of copper, and
each was from one to three yards square.
Each formed part of the bronze statue
and of course no two were alike.
GIN this complicated manner, by
making first a sketch, then quarter
size model, then a full-size model in
sections, then hundreds of wooden
copies, and lastly by beating into shape
three hundred sheets of copper, the
enormous statue was finished. These
three hundred bent and hammered
plates, weighing in all Lightweight tons,
form the outside of the statue. They
are very thin, and while they fit each
other perfectly, it is quite plain that if
they were put together in their proper
order they would never stand alone.
These hammered sheets make the out
side of the statue but there must be
also a skeleton, bony structure inside,
to hold it together. This is of iron
beams, firmly riveted together, and
making support to which the copper
shell can be fastened"