Blueprints Unearthed
In 2018, a California map dealer, Barry Lawrence Ruderman, purchased a set of engineering drawings at a Paris auction. The lot included materials from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop related to the Statue of Liberty. Upon closer examination, conservators discovered 22 original engineering drawings annotated with calculations. These schematics were the foundation for Eiffel’s support system that enabled the statue to withstand New York Harbor’s fierce winds.
Eiffel’s Ingenious Design
Eiffel’s wrought iron trusses acted like springs, allowing the copper statue to flex without collapsing. His design anticipated skyscraper engineering principles. To combat corrosion from salty air, Eiffel insulated the iron frame from the copper shell with asbestos, a solution that proved problematic decades later.
A Last-Minute Arm Change
The drawings revealed evidence of a change to Lady Liberty’s upraised arm. Originally designed to be more vertical for stability, the arm was altered late in construction to tilt outward for aesthetic appeal. This modification strained the statue’s structure, contributing to challenges during the 1980s restoration.
Preserving the Past
Despite engineers’ recommendations to strengthen the arm, preservationists maintained Bartholdi’s artistic intent. Today, digital versions of Eiffel’s drawings are accessible online, shedding light on this collaboration.
In 2018, rare engineering blueprints from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop were discovered, revealing how his designs have kept the Statue of Liberty standing strong for over a century. Among them were clues suggesting a late-stage change to her iconic torch-bearing arm. pic.twitter.com/YL455gtInl
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) December 12, 2024