LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Designed by Frédéric Bartholdi, the statue was dedicated to the American people in honor of their independence in 1886.

French politician Édouard René de Laboulaye was an ardent supporter of the Union in the American Civil War and was excited when they triumphed over the Confederacy in 1865 marking an end to slavery.

During a dinner party at his home in Versailles, Laboulaye said, "If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort -- a common work of both our nations."

Overhead by fellow guest and sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, he agreed that the project would be a suitable joint venture for both France and America artisans to undertake.

The design for lady Liberty was based on a neoclassical sculpture of the Roman god of freedom. While Bartholdi set about designing the Statue of Liberty, due to the troubled political situation in France, work did not begin until the 1870s.

President Grant finally signed a joint resolution on March 3, 1877, that authorized the President to accept the statue when it was presented by France. By that time, the sculptor had already begun work on the statue's head and torch-bearing arm.

Under the agreement signed by Grant, France would provide the statue and America the pedestal. The location for the statue was confirmed to be Bedloe's Island, which was later named Liberty Island just outside Manhattan.

Bartholdi returned to Paris after the confirmation and completed the head which was exhibited at the Paris World Fair the following year.

The statues was finally disassembled in 1885 and shipped to New York. A ceremony of dedication was held on the afternoon of October 28, 1886 where Bartholdi's hard work was celebrated by a parade watched by hundreds of thousands of Americans.

The statue has been an important symbol of freedom and liberty for America and her allies ever since.

The photos currently on display document the statue's construction during her years in Paris between 1877 and 1885.

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