The Statue of Liberty originally looked like a bright reddish-brown copper statue, not the green one people know today. It had the same overall shape, but early designs also showed Liberty holding a broken chain and shackle before that detail was moved to her feet and the tablet was placed in her left hand.

Original appearance

When it was first assembled in the 1880s, the statue’s surface was bare copper, so it would have looked shiny and metallic, like a new penny on a much bigger scale. Over time, the copper oxidized naturally and turned the green color called patina.

Design changes

Bartholdi’s early version emphasized freedom more directly: Liberty was shown with a broken chain and shackle in her hand. In the final design, that chain was placed at her feet and the familiar tablet reading “July IV, MDCCLXXVI” was moved into her left hand.

In plain terms

So if you picture the statue as it first appeared, think: copper-brown, shinier, and a little more dramatic in its symbolism. It was still the same Liberty, just before weather and chemistry gave her the green look she has now.

Would you like a side-by-side of the original design versus the modern statue?