Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 16
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
Statue of Liberty sculptor Bartholdi vows in July 1884: "the work will be finished"
Statue of Liberty sculptor Bartholdi vows in July 1884: "the work will be finished"
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
Description:

Bartholdi Frederic

3pp bifold ALS accompanied by postscript on separate onionskin leaf, inscribed overall in French in black pen and signed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi as “A. Bartholdi” on the bottom of the third page. On “Franco-American Union Committee” letterhead, subtitled “Subscription for the Erection of a Commemorative Monument for the 50th anniversary of American Independence”, dated from Paris on July 16, 1884. Second page margin note indicates letter was received by Georges Glaenzer at 11 Lexington Avenue on July 31, 1884. In very good although fragile condition, with some irregular paper edges and isolated loss. Expected paper folds throughout including some well-worn, partly torn, and professionally repaired. Overall toning does not affect text. The bifold pages measures 8.125” x 10.5”.

In mid-July 1884, Bartholdi expressed his frustration to Georges Glaenzer, his frequent correspondent and a member of the Franco-American Union lobbying for financial support for the Statue of Liberty. Bartholdi should have been pleased; France had officially gifted the Statue of Liberty to America in a proxy ceremony on July 4, 1884, just two weeks prior, and a medal commemorating the ceremony had been minted. Yet while Bartholdi’s project was celebrated in France, where it now stood fully assembled near a Parisian park, it stimulated only lukewarm financial and moral support in the United States.

The Courriere des Etats Unis, a French language American newspaper established in 1828 in New York City, republished American newspaper articles accusing Bartholdi of personally profiting from the Statue. These insinuations deeply wounded the artist, who was nevertheless determined to succeed. The media’s insinuations prompted Bartholdi to philosophize about the “American character”. Bartholdi decided that while Americans were an extreme people, the good ultimately outweighed the bad. The sculptor’s devotion to the Statue of Liberty project was unchanged by the bad publicity since he was supported by true friends like Constance Cary Harrison (1843-1920) (whom Bartholdi here referred to as “Mrs. Burton Harrimon”), a Southern-born American writer who convinced Emma Lazurus (1849-1887) to donate her 1883 poem “The New Colossus” to statue fundraising efforts.

Most of the letter content can be found below:

“My dear Glaenzer,

I am inclined to agree with your dear father-in-law; after the first painful impression caused by calumnies has passed, one withdraws into one’s self and tells one’s self that a dog cannot be prevented from looking at a bishop, nor a toad from drooling on flowers, nor a being to play!

In any case, it is a very agreeable sensation to feel one has friends, and your indignation relieves that which I sometimes feel. I do not believe we should reply to that garbage with proof and documents. They do not mean anything because people see in them a kind of effort, a justification. I spoke to Dietz Monnier about it, and he urged me to write him a letter that he would send you which would confirm the statements you want without seeming to be replying directly to the dirty blackbirds in question.

I was not able to fine the St. Louis newspaper for you. For some time I have had such an accumulation of papers that I have not been able to get them organized; but the Courriere des Etats Unis published it and replied to it; it could be found easily.

I have never had many illusions about the American character; but I still remain convinced that certain personalities, certain men exceptional in their purity, their worthiness, their nobility -- essentially American products -- are sufficient to counterbalance the sins of all the garbage and depravity that America produces.

Now it is to that part of America that I addressed myself, and I found it; that is enough to console me and to enable me to finish my work. There will still be echoes in the land. If necessary, I shall personally pay for its completion; I shall be an apostle, I shall come and give lectures, anything; but the work will be finished. When ‾ in an undertaking ‾ one has had the honor of feeling one’s self surrounded by noble sentiments and by outstanding and devoted men, one has a strength that succeeds in conquering obstacles and in overcoming difficulties.

I pray you to convey my feelings of gratitude to Mrs. Burton Harriman for the sympathy she has shown for our work; I shall send you ‾ for her as well as yourself ‾ the medal that was struck for the presentation of the statue; you must have seen by the papers that the ceremony had an exceptional valor …

Since the beginning of the year, I have had nothing but worries, cares, and tribulations; I am very tired, but I do not have reason to complain since all the problems had a happy solution …

My mother is now with me. I went to get her, for I would not have wanted my statue to be dismantled without her having seen it …

P.S. I received your newspaper clipping the subscription offer … It is ridiculous but money could be made by erecting some fences with posters around the work area, or by authorizing some signs on the island until the work is finished.

I continue to receive requests for autographs. I am planning to have the following notice printed: Autographs from Mr. Bartholdi may be obtained at the office of the American Committee of the Statue of Liberty, 171 Broadway, corner of Cortland Street, Room No. 11 … ”

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 100 th 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.

Georges Auguste Glaenzer (1848-1915) was one of the people who made the project possible. In 1886, Glaenzer was a living in New York as a French expatriate. This Franco-Prussian War veteran transferred his interior decorating business to the United States in 1880, where he beautified the homes of affluent New Yorkers like the Vanderbilts. Glaenzer had numerous extra-professional interests including yachting and architecture. He was a member of the French Commission to the Centennial, and secretary of the French commission charged with fund-raising for the Statue of Liberty.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000