The Statue of Liberty

b. David Copperfield

In this 1983 trick, Copperfield raised a giant sheet in front of the statue. When he dropped it… Lady Liberty was gone! Don’t worry–she was just hidden behind one of the towers that held the sheet up. Copperfield moved the platform the audience was on to block their perspective, blasting loud music to distract everyone.

b. 600

Our poor copper Lady endures 600 lightning strikes a year. And in high winds, the torch can sway by about 5 inches side-to-side.

This is a rare view of the top of the Statue of Liberty’s hair, taken from the torch by an unknown photographer in the 1930s. The torch has been closed since 1916’s Black Tom explosion, so no one has seen Liberty’s hair for over a century!

c. A metal replica of the statue

In 1885, this statuette was produced in the tens of thousands as part of a fundraising effort. It was sold to finance the construction of the full-sized Statue’s pedestal.