Iconic America

(bright music) - America's greatest symbol has its roots in a small town in France, about 300 miles from Paris, where Bartholdi was born and first conceived of his vision for the statue.

There is no better way to understand the statue's evolution than to go where it all began.

(light orchestral music) So this is the replica of the Statue of Liberty.

It was erected here to honor Auguste Bartholdi.

He was born in this city.

Where this is now located appears to be a transportation and logistics center because every truck coming by in the world seems to be here, but it looks exactly like the one in New York Harbor down to the chains at the feet, and we can see them here very closely.

So, they erected a Statue of Liberty right in a traffic circle area of the city.

Why did they do that?

(Robert laughs) - I prefer not to comment on this decision because I don't think it is a very good decision.

It will be better to develop the Museum of Bartholdi in Colmar, but it's my own impression.

- Now, this museum was his original house.

This is where he was born, is that correct?

- Yeah, absolutely correct.

- [David] So you've been in this museum many times?

- [Robert] Yes, many times.

For my research to write my biography on Bartholdi.

The museum opened in 1922.

- [David] And it operated until World War II?

- [Robert] It was closed because of the German occupation, you see.

And Bartholdi was the symbol of French patriotism.

- [David] Yeah.

(gentle music) So in here we have the statue that was originally designed for the Suez Canal.

- Yes, you're right.

In 1869, in fact.

It was designed to be a lighthouse, but it was a model only because Isma'il Pasha, who was the Khedive of Egypt, has no more money to finance these statues.

- But this statue looks a little bit like the Statue of Liberty, doesn't it?

- Yes, absolutely.

And after this project, it has been reuse for the Statue of Liberty in New York, in fact.

- Wow.

And that right here is the first model of this?

- It is the very first model created in 1870, and the difference is the chain.

You know, the chain.

And after this model, you have the very first model with the tablets.

It's new from this one.

You have the chain and the tablets.

- [David] Very impressive.

- [Robert] Yeah, yes.

- [David] Now, what are the chains designed to symbolize?

- It symbolizes the fight against authoritarianism, fight against monarchy.

- [David] Some people say the chains are designed to symbolize the end of slavery in the United States.

Is that part of the symbolism as well?

- [Robert] Yeah.

The chains also symbolize slavery and the broken chains, the end of slavery.

But Bartholdi developed the idea, you see.

- [David] It was Laboulaye's idea to do something like this.

- Yes.

It was him who gave the idea one week after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to imagine a very big symbol of the friendship between America and France.

(soft music)