Looking out from New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States. Originally called "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World," the monument has a long lighting history and now shines brighter than ever with high-performance LEDs.
Dark days
A gift from the people of France, the 154-foot copper sculpture was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 pieces and assembled on Liberty Island. It was originally dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886.
There were no original plans to illuminate the torch-bearing figure. Frederic Bartholdi, the statue’s designer, did make provisions for kerosene lamps to be placed inside the crown and envisioned lamps located around the structure's platform. Just before the statue's dedication, however, the Army Core of Engineers cut holes in the torch and installed lamps inside. On the night of the ceremony, rain dimmed the lamps, and lighting remained a problem from that point on.
Lighting up
It wasn't until 1916 that a reliable lighting system was installed. More than 200 projectors using 250-watt incandescent lamps were installed at the base of the statue and around the island. Glass windows were added to the torch, which was illuminated by 15 lamps placed inside. In 1931, the lighting system was updated to include automatic controls and floodlights.
A new lightings system was installed for the statue's 100th anniversary in 1986. It included forty 250-watt metal halide lamps, which light the body of the statue; sixteen 250-watt tungsten halogen incandescent lamps installed under the torch railing; 42 six-volt spotlights, which light the torch from below; and four 1000-watt metal halide floodlights mounted in the statue's head.
Shining brighter with LEDs
In 2012, the statue temporarily went dark as a result of damage from Hurricane Sandy. A portable lighting system using generators and LEDs was improvised to provide illumination while the permanent lighting system was being repaired.
The current permanent lighting system was activated in 2015. It includes high-performance LED fixtures with precise optics to highlight the aesthetics of the monument, while reducing the amount of light pollution being projected into the night sky. Although the LED system provides twice the brightness level of the previous metal halide lights, it uses 62% less energy.
Now restored, Lady Liberty continues to shine brightly as a symbol of hope and freedom.