I'm going to New York. Is it worth visiting the Statue of Liberty

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Q.� So what's its history

A.� Her history, you mean. She's on an island in New York Harbour, a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States. Lady Liberty is acclaimed as one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. The statue was dedicated on 26 October, 1886, and designated a national monument on 15 October, 1924. The statue was extensively restored in time for her spectacular centennial on 4 July, 1986.

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Q.� Who built her

A.� Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture in time for 1876 - the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed that the Americans should build the pedestal, and the French the figure.

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Q.� So ...

A.� There wasn't enough money - so it had to be raised by subscription, lottery, exhibitions, auctions and prize fights. The campaign got a particular boost in the States when Joseph Pullitzer - publisher of The World - attacked both the rich who failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were relying upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Soon the money was raised.

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Q.� And how was the work going

A.� Bartholdi needed an engineer to help with constructing such a colossal copper sculpture, so Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (the man whose tower bears his name) was commissioned to design the iron pylon and skeletal framework which allows the statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. In America, pedestal construction was finished in April, 1886. The statue arrived in New York Harbour in 350 individual pieces in 214 crates on board the French frigate Isere.

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Q.� And how long did she take to build

A.� Four months. The reassembled statue was dedicated in front of thousands of spectators on 28 October, 1886. Initially, she was put in the care of the United States Lighthouse Board, the War Department in 1901 and the National Park Service in 1933.

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Q.� And she got a facelift

A.� Yes. Some $87 million was raised to restore her for her 100th birthday in 1986. In 1984, the United Nations had designated the statue a world heritage site. On 5 July, 1986, the newly restored statue re-opened to the public during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.

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Q.� So, a few vital statue statistics, please.

A.� Certainly. Height from heel to top of head: 111ft 1in. Length of hand: 16ft� 5in. From ear to ear: 10ft. Distance across the eye: 2ft 6in. Ground to top of pedestal: 154ft. In fact, close up, she seems smaller than from a distance. The pedestal is considerable taller than the statue. Impressive, nevertheless.

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Q.� And it's a long climb to the top

A.� Yes - and a little claustrophobic. Visitors climb 354 steps to reach the crown or 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. The seven rays of the statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The tablet the statue holds in her left hand reads (in Roman numerals) 4 July, 1776.� The copper sheeting on the statue is 2.37mm thick.

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Q.� Recommended, then

A.� Thoroughly. Visit by boat and then try one of the helicopter tours that goes over her head. Astounding.

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By Steve Cunningham