It’s very strange to see the Statue of Liberty’s enormous hand and torch parked in front of the western side of Madison Square—a genteel, elite neighborhood at the end of the 19th century.
But it all came down to fund-raising, and Madison Square was where the money was.
The hand and torch were placed in the park from 1876 to 1882 to get enough donations from Americans to complete the pedestal (the statue itself was the financial responsibility of the French).
Cash was coming in slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer, editor of The World, stepped in.”Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds,” reports this Statue of Liberty website.
“Pulitzer’s campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.”
Tags: 23rd Street, building Statue of Liberty, Joseph Pulitzer, Madison Square Park, New York in the 1880s, New York street, Statue of Liberty fundraising, The World newspaper NYC
Ephemeral New York 
May 10, 2012 at 5:59 am |
1876?
May 10, 2012 at 6:04 am |
Yes! Thanks, fixed it.
May 10, 2012 at 11:41 am |
There’s a whole segment in Time and Again by Jack Finney where the arm plays a crucial part in the story. Really good book about 1870s NYC.
May 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm |
I have that on my reading list that I never get to, thanks!
May 12, 2012 at 1:04 pm |
You HAVE to read the book, just for the fun of it. But beware, Finney tends to be WAY too romantic about the period. There is scarcely any mention of poverty, Five Points, disease, etc. However, it is a richly-detailed, and for the most part, accurate look at New York City in 1882.
May 13, 2012 at 12:14 am
Okay, I’m moving it to the top of my reading list! I’ve always heard good things about the book, and I always enjoy checking out someone else’s New York.
May 10, 2012 at 9:16 pm |
Time and Again by Jack Finney
Great NYC book. GREAT
May 12, 2012 at 1:23 am |
Wow! Never knew “the hand” once graced Madison Square– how wonderful!
I think we should raise funds to reinstall an exact replica! Waaay better than the artsy-fartsy stuff currently displayed in the park.
May 12, 2012 at 5:06 pm |
My first visit. I love your site! Sometimes history is right under your nose.
May 13, 2012 at 12:14 am |
Cool! Feel free to suggest posts or give me your feedback!
October 11, 2012 at 3:33 am |
[…] in trying to dig up information about the maker of Lady Liberty’s buried head, I found this fun little article (and awesome picture!) about the fundraising for the pedestal of the Statue of […]
September 28, 2015 at 6:46 am |
[…] cold, miserable rain, which poured down on marchers during the morning parade from 57th Street to Madison Square Park to the […]