The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds.

Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.

Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such a colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort. 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. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous fortresses and has seen service as royal palace, prison, armoury and even a zoo. The ancient stones reverberate with dark secrets, priceless jewels glint in fortified vaults and pampered ravens strut the grounds.Other ghosts of the Tower include those of Henry VI, Thomas a Becket and Sir Walter Raleigh. One of the most gruesome ghost stories connected with the Tower of London describes death of the Countess of Salisbury. According to one account, "the Countess was sentenced to death in 1541 following her alleged involvement in criminal activities (although it is now widely believed that she was probably innocent). After being sent struggling to the scaffold, she ran from the block and was pursued until she was hacked to death by the axe man." Her execution ceremony has been seen re-enacted by spirits on Tower Green.

The Tower of London, one of the most famous and well-preserved historical buildings in the world, may also be one of the most haunted. This is due, no doubt, to the scores of executions, murders and tortures that have taken place within its walls over the last 1,000 years. Dozens upon dozens of ghost sightings have been reported in and around the Tower. On one winter day in 1957 at 3 a.m., a guard was disturbed by something striking the top of his guardhouse. When he stepped outside to investigate, he saw a shapeless white figure on top of the tower. It was then realized that on that very same date, February 12, Lady Jane Grey was beheaded in 1554.

The White Tower is the huge and beautiful stone building in the middle of the sight. Currently it hosts the exhibition of Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and Windsor arms and armour “Fit for a King”. This vast collection begins by exploring armour created for both the battle and sports fields with an un-missable chance to see Henry VIII’s and Charles 1’s spectacular armour.

Perhaps the most well-known ghostly resident of the Tower is the spirit of Ann Boleyn, one of the wives of Henry VIII, who was also beheaded in the Tower in 1536. Her ghost has been spotted on many occasions, sometimes carrying her head, on Tower Green and in the Tower Chapel Royal.

Constructed over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London is steeped in a rich history. This fortress was expanded by many medieval kings and is a grand structure used by Royals through the years as a refuge and powerbase.The Tower is still home to her majesty's Crown Jewels, on display for visitors to see, and the infamous Beefeaters tasked with the job of guarding them as well as showing visitors some of the attractions highlights.

The Science Museum London

The Science Museum

The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The museum is a major London tourist attraction, attracting 2.7 million visitors annually.The Science Museum has many highlights; some of its most prominent features include ‘The Secret Life of the Home’, where a technological guide to domestic advances is given; ‘Making The Modern World’, a stunning chronological gallery of technological advancements from 1750 to the year 2000; The Theatre, where short films on science are shown; the ‘Energy Hall’, which tells the story of how energy helped Britain’s industrial advancement; ‘Exploring Space’, where the Solar System is discussed; the ‘Measuring Time’ exhibition; the Computing exhibition, which charts the history of this world-dominating technology; and ‘Health Matters’, an exploration of medical-health advancements.

  Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the Science Museum does not charge for admission. Temporary exhibitions, however, do usually incur an admission fee. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry, having merged with the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester in 2012.

The Science Museum in west London’s South Kensington district is one of the most popular and well-known London attractions and one of the top free things to do in London. The Science Museum (which is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry) covers a wide range of scientific areas, although those tourists with a specific interest in biology are advised to also visit the Natural History Museum, which is located just yards away and also offers free admission.  

The Science Museum is a very interesting and must visit museums in London. Visitors of Hotel specials London say that it is a museum which is also a major tourist attraction. The Science museum in London is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road and south Kensington London. It is also a part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. In 1857 this beautiful museum was founded under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts. In this museum you can visit its collection which has over 300,000 items, which includes Stephenson's Rocket, Puffing Billy, the first jet engine, a reconstruction of Francis Crick and James Watson's model of DNA.

A museum was founded in 1857 under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts and surplus items from the Great Exhibition as part of the South Kensington Museum, together with what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum. It included a collection of machinery which became the Museum of Patents in 1858, and the Patent Office Museum in 1863. This collection contained many of the most famous exhibits of what is now the Science Museum. In 1883, the contents of the Patent Office Museum were transferred to the South Kensington Museum. In 1885, the Science Collections were renamed the Science Museum and in 1893 a separate director was appointed. The Art Collections were renamed the Art Museum, which eventually became the Victoria and Albert Museum.