(April 2, 1834–October 4, 1904), was the French sculptor who designed and constructed The Statue of Liberty. Given by France to the United States, July 4, 1884, it has become a symbol of freedom throughout the world. The largest of its kind, the statue weighs 450,000 pounds and stands 305 feet above the base of the pedestal. It is supported by a steel structure built by Gustave Eiffel. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi wrote:
The statue was born for this place which inspired its conception. May God be pleased to bless my efforts and my work, and to crown it with success, the duration and the moral influence which it ought to have.2707