Description:

Bartholdi Frederic 1834 - 1904

Invitation celebrating Statue of Liberty's piecemeal arrival in New York Harbor in June 1885.

Handsome invitation commemorating the June 17, 1885 arrival of French vessels transporting the Statue of Liberty to New York. The New York Chamber of Commerce invites officers of the "Isere" to an evening supper at Delmonico's, an elite eatery in Manhattan.

The invitation, printed on heavy stock in black and white and color reads: "Banquet by the Chamber of Commerce in honor of the Commander and Officers of the French National Ship Isere. Delmonico's, Wednesday evening, June 24th 1885". A crossed French and American flag bisects an embossed gilt wreath of laurel leaves at top, and a smoking loving cup appears at bottom. The main vignette depicts an "Isere"-type vessel sailing towards the Statue of Liberty, not yet assembled and just arrived in New York. In near fine condition with isolated foxing near date. Inscribed and underlined in two places by another hand. Surface roughness verso indicates card was once adhered to another backing, like a scrapbook page. Card measures 4.875" x 6".

Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) studied painting, sculpture, and architecture under well-known instructors like Viollet-le-Duc in Paris. Following his service in the Franco-Prussian War, Bartholdi became increasingly interested in sculpting monumental works celebrating resistance against oppression, and Enlightenment ideals like Freedom. Bartholdi later conceived of the design of the "Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World". The fundraising phase of this process would take years, and indeed long surpass the actual 100th anniversary of the United States. Yet once it was installed in 1886, the massive 151-ft tall copper-clad sculpture of a standing woman would fundamentally change the cityscape.

The Statue of Liberty, assembled from over three hundred modeled copper sheets, was transported from the workshop of Gaget, Gauthier & Compagnie in Paris to Rouen by railroad in carefully packed crates. The 1,000-ton steam-propelled French man-of-war ship "Isere", escorted on its transatlantic crossing by a naval flagship "Flore" later transported the pieces to New York Harbor during a month-long journey. On June 17, 1885, the Americans warmly received the arriving French ships with cannon salutes; ceremonial visits and sponsored events like these celebratory meals continued well into July 1885. Yet despite the festive atmosphere, delays in pedestal construction meant that even with the sculpture now in New York, it would not be inaugurated until over sixteen months later in October 1886.

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