Discovering Paris' 7 Statue of Liberty copies. Unknowns, treasures & joys of visiting each!
From pint, to human and large-sized replicas.....
Attend any given Parisian soirée and there's an excellent chance someone, usually after that first Merlot, will ask that perennial question: How many Statue of Liberty copies exist in the city?
If the answers elude you, fret not! As an official Paris cognoscente (not legally, of course) I am happy to help out. Here then, a listing of the currently available Lady Liberty replicas and the wondrously captivating attractions awaiting you at each.
First … Introductions. Her official name is “La Liberté éclairant le monde” …her original French name which then became “Liberty Enlightening the World”. We assume you’re up on the basics, so…..
Off we go...(can't keep a lady waiting)!
TWO ICONS SHARING SEINE-TRAL STAGE
1 Ile Aux Cygnes:
We start with the obvious – and one a bit hard to miss: the Lady L currently luxuriating on the prow of a islet in the Seine called Ile Aux Cygnes / Isle of the Swans. She took up residence here but 3 years after France gave the U.S. its larger sister (dedicated in 1886). This Liberty is courtesy of Paris's American community and was given to Paris (1889) to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution.
Visit benefits: Why go? There are oodles of prime reasons to visit, the least of which is the priceless photo-op potential of lining up both the Lady and la Dame de Fer/Eiffel Tower in close proximity.
Never Underestimate the Power of Sororal Solidarity
Photographers craving that unique shot can mosey to nearby Pont Mirabeau/Bridge. (And if you do, make sure you walk along the far safer 15th arrondissement side).
Located between the 15th and 16th arrondissements, the islet tis but a hop from the very modern Beaugrenelle shopping center (whose Illy coffee kiosk offers sublime Java!) It also once boasted a small work-out area with serene venues where, child-like, you may exult in the unalloyed joy of watching peniches lazily ply the Seine. It is also one of the few places to take in Paris's sky-scrapper skyline view while on terra-firma.
This statue is near sculptor Bartholdi’s old atelier in Paris’ 17th . If you're atop the Tour Eiffel, be sure to look down at this replica. Originally facing east, in 1937, year of the l'exposition universelle, it was turned west, which happens to face the U.S.
Trivia: Ile Aux Cygnes is Paris' 3rd largest island and artificial, can you name the others? It was created to split busy Seine traffic and/or as support to its three bridges. At its widest, its a mere 11 meters/36ft. …or, a touch more than needed for an NFL first-down. (Ans: Île de la Cité & Île Saint-Louis!).
2 Parc Luxo: Luxembourg Gardens
Another popular model is the Lady Liberty perched in the tonier confines of the Luxembourg Gardens (6th arrondissement).
This was the model Bartholdi originally used to create the larger one for the U.S. This, more human-scaled copy is nestled within a copse of obliging trees in the western edge along rue Guynemer ( he a WWI French fighter pilot ace…). Bizarrely many websites claim this replica is difficult to find, which it isn't! Having lived nearby I can attest to an almost factual ratio of four Parisians available for every lost rambling tourist.
Visit benefits: Luxo is a pan-dimensional urban gem aglitter with myriad joys and wonders. Too many in fact to list, but…here’s a nutshell effort. Just past the kids playground, go marvel at the oldest Merry-Go-Round in Paris (1879)! A wonder redolent and bursting with renaissance charm that will magically whisk you to the days of jousting! Kids still scurry to mount their chipped-steeds among its creaky old cavalcade – an anachronistic marvel given the allure of today’s cell-phone entertainment juggernaut.
Once asaddle, and the whole aged rotating platform chuntering on, kids riding the outer edge, and armed with wooden rods (lances!) try to spear metal rings suspended off to the side. (Where’s the adult version?) It's called jeu de bagues...and I'm betting it'll be there 50 years from now.
Other wonders include:
Théâtre des Marionnettes du jardin du Luxembourg… This long treasured tradition and masterly puppetry show has been thrilling kids from three to ninety-three since 1933! Watching as kids and savvy adults bolt for the entrance as staff clang the bell is a sheer joy.
There’s also an apple orchard, the Medici Fountain, an apiary (you can buy the honey!) a green house, a rose garden, tennis and a hoops court, and the Orangerie (past green-house and current art exhibition center) The pony rides are no more!
Finally, there are ample open spaces and immaculately manicured lawns upon which to wile away hours while gazing above as Canadian-sized clouds majestically waft past.... You get the idea.
If you’d like a copy of this, or any photo: Send an E-mail!
3 Musée d'Orsay –
Aside from seeing this Lady Liberty, you'll want to visit d'Orsay to exult in its stunning collection, and to learn its history!
In the main hall, just as one enters, is perched yet another Lady L. This one was crafted by Bartholdi for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. It was first given to the Musée du Luxembourg, then the Jardin du Luxembourg and in 2012, the Musée d'Orsay.
Visit benefits: Musée d'Orsay is a storied institution. It began life as the Gare d'Orsay, a railway station built in time for the 1900 Exposition Universelle on the site of a palace of the same name. Built with electric rails (ergo no vaulting glass ceiling to vent steam etc.) you can still make out the old platform outline from the upper floors. It then fell on hard times, surviving as a WWII partial mail sorting center; prisoner reception center; and even a film set (Kafka's 'The Trial' by O. Wells!). In 1968 it was was happily Cinderella'ed into the current and awe-inspiring Musée d’Orsay. The museum is currently showing a fascinating, well-produced short documentary on its history.
Below are two of my 67 reasons to visit. And, yours?
Visit benefits: The obvious aside, the museum fronts the Seine and to its left is a foot-brige/passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor to the right bank…and into the Tuileries Garden, near the Louvre. Or, head to the right and Place de la Concorde. If there, follow rue de Rivoli towards the Louvre to discover two English bookstores. Smith & Son (whose famed tea room serves a RED VELVET CAKE!) and further along, the old-world charm, wooden creaky floors and rolling ladders of venerable Galignani. “The First English Bookshop Established on the Continent”.
4 Musée des Arts et Métiers (National Museum of Arts and Crafts).
Aside from being a world-class institution, and one of the oldest (1794) of its kind, Arts et Métiers offers a premier showcasing of industry, tech, design & inventions. It once bragged two Lady Liberty's. One guarding the front entrance by the church and another, within. The former is currently on loan to the U.S. till 2031 which leaves but one …which is still more than enough reason to visit.
Visit benefits: The museum has mesmerizing historical gems chronicling early and current instrumentation, communications (TV & Radio) and just nifty ‘ol techno-historical gizmos. Of note are the majestic early trains, automobiles and planes, including the plane flown by Clément Ader who some believe first flew 13 years before America’s Wrights. See old You-Tube post on the plane, here.
The architecture and much of the collection is in the deserted priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. Also on display: The "Fardier à vapeur" pretty much the world’s first car. Trivia: A second model knocked over a stone wall, making this the world's first car accident! (And, if later accounts are true, the inventor was arrested and convicted of dangerous driving)!
5 Lady Liberty on Deck: The Peniche Replica:
Sitting serenely on the deck of a Parisian peniche, is yet another replica of the ‘Lady’.
Short Video on this Statue of Liberty
FYI: Most of these photos are from late summer or September ‘23. Beware undated Paris website tales and imagery!
Visit benefits: Ooof! … tons. As you can see… you are just across from the Eiffel Tower and …museums, the Champ de Mars, and all manner of fab attractions! However should you stay on this side of the Seine you’ll be able to enjoy the unique views of western Paris just by walking along the riverbank!
6 Le Centaure -
Hidden within the breastplate of a very ‘interesting’ work called Le Centaure, is a lilliputian Lady Liberty. The statue has a bit of an Alien vibe, as if she willed herself from its chest. Given the initial reaction to this statue, maybe Lady Liberty just wanted out. (I did my best with my cellphone lens even at the cost of it suffering a heart-attack).
The artwork lives on a small pedestal in a niche spot in the 6th at Place Michel Debré. The statue is by French sculptor César (yes, the very one charged with creating the statue for the French film award. The award is called… César.) There’s lots going on in this statue. Enough said.
The actual statue —the tiny Lady Liberty is on the breastplate!
Visit benefits: There are a gazillion restaurants within but a 15 minute saunter (of note: Les Deux Magots & Café de Flore)! You can mosey to the river, or walk west towards Musée d'Orsay, or visit the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Invalides, Musée Rodin (and if you do, don’t miss its garden) or head back up to Jardin du Luxembourg (highlighted earlier). Frankly, given the overwhelming possibilities, the easiest option for you would be to just stay in Paris. Yup. Sell the apartment, have friends ship the cats/dogs, toss half those possessions (you don’ really need that many?) and enroll the kids in local schools. They’ll be rolling vowels, crushing sibilants and preforming stunning linguistic grand jetés by Christmas. Easy!
7 Only Ladies in the Building - Or, “…in tonight’s podcast: ‘Who is this mysterious Lady and why is she living in an upscale Parisian lobby’?
So here we are in the the airy lobby of a palpably swish 8th arrondisement apartment building. We are but 100 meters (a block or three) from the Palais de L’Elysee. Yeah, the one where that Macron guy works. (Totally unrelated fact, within minutes of this spot are statutes of both Winston Churchill and de Gaulle, both more or less content to be facing away from each other).
CLICK HERE FOR AN INSIDE LOOK (VIDEO) OF THIS LADY LIBERTY
How this Lady Liberty got here is the tale for another day. (Hint, hint). She’s there and if the stars are properly aligned (i.e. the first main door left ajar) you can pop in and pay your respects. Or, not.
Visit benefits: Once here you are steps from one of the most charming spots in Paris, Avenue des Champs-Élysées! Yes, there are tacky parts (soon to undergo a pre-Olympic cosmetic make-over!), but much of the avenue is a joy to amble along, notably from Metro Franklin D. Roosevelt down towards Place de la Concorde… (And then, the Tuileries Garden)!
Lets Wrap This UP! Seven (7) replicas in Paris. In France there are undoubtedly hundreds and hundreds more. (Let’s not even mention what's in Colmar, France, birthplace of Bartholdi and now home to his museum). Worldwide, there are most likely thousands of copies or replicas of “La Liberté éclairant le monde” worldwide...which if you think on it, makes sense given her real name.
Lastly, here's a Lady Liberty from Guangzhou, China! (Not author photo!)
Finally: Where to find and see the last official Statue of Liberty replica? Go to 667 Madison Ave, NYC! This 2011 bronze reproduction was supposedly made from the original plaster model in Paris.
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PS: Lastly I've omitted the iconic (Princess Diana) Flame of Liberty sculpture since its site was officially named Place Diana in 2019.
PSS: There are two more kinda’ sorta’ hidden replicas which I am currently ahunt for! Stay tuned! Not too mention (which I just did…) the tale of some earlier replicas melted down by the Germans in wartime….
60secondparis out…….