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''Miss Freedom'', originally named ''Goddess of Liberty'', is the statue adorning the dome of the
Georgia House of Representatives history of ''Miss Freedom''
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061010000227/http://www.sos.state.ga.us/museum/virtual_tour/miss_freedom_replica.htm Picture of a replica statue of ''Miss Liberty'' located in the Capitolbr>GeorgiaInfo.com ''Miss Freedom'' entryGeorgia Encyclopedia Entry for ''Miss Freedom''
{{coord, 33, 44, 56.35, N, 84, 23, 17.33, W, type:landmark_region:US, display=title 1889 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) 1889 sculptures Colossal statues in the United States Copper sculptures in the United States Finial figures History of Atlanta Liberty symbols Outdoor sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) Statues in Atlanta
''Miss Freedom'', originally named ''Goddess of Liberty'', is the statue adorning the dome of the Georgia State Capitol
The Georgia State Capitol is an architecturally and historically significant building in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The building has been named a National Historic Landmark which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As t ...
since 1889. Commissioned in 1888, the hollow copper statue is painted white, weighs over 1600 lbs, and is over 26 feet tall. She was sculpted with a torch in her right hand and a sword in her left. The torch is a functioning mercury-vapor lamp
A mercury-vapor lamp is a gas-discharge lamp that uses an electric arc through vaporized mercury to produce light. The arc discharge is generally confined to a small fused quartz arc tube mounted within a larger soda lime or borosilicate gla ...
, casting a blue-green light at night. The torch in her right hand was supposed to be a working light continuously, but it remained dark until it was reconstructed in 1959. Tube and trolley systems have been installed so the bulb can be changed from the inside.
History
There were four different capitol locations before the current location. The current capitol building resides in the city of Atlanta. Construction of the Atlanta capitol started on November 13, 1884. The building took four and a half years and 250 men to complete. The statue of Miss Freedom was installed in 1888. Completion, and opening of the building, took place on March 20, 1889. The statue's origin is vague as the original documents about the construction of the State Capitol and ''Miss Freedom'' were burned. What records remain suggest that the architectural firm in charge of the building, Edbrooke and Burnham, ordered the statue from the W.H. Mullins Manufacturing Company in Salem, Ohio. The statue's name before its christening is unknown, but it has possessed the names ''Miss Freedom, Liberty, and Goddess of Liberty''.Description
The statue wears aPhrygian cap
The Phrygian cap ( ), also known as Thracian cap and liberty cap, is a soft Pointed hat, conical Hat, cap with the apex bent over, associated in Classical antiquity, antiquity with several peoples in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Asia. The Phry ...
, or pileus, adorned with a star. It wears a robe and holds a torch in her right hand and a sword in her left. The torch is meant to represent truth or enlightenment while the sword symbolizes authoritative armed liberty or enforced justice.
See also
* ''Statue of Freedom
The ''Statue of Freedom'', also known as ''Armed Freedom'' or simply ''Freedom'', is a bronze statue designed by Thomas Crawford (sculptor), Thomas Crawford that, since 1863, has crowned the United States Capitol dome. Originally named ''Freedo ...
'', an 1863 sculpture by Thomas Crawford atop the dome of the US Capitol
* Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
(''Liberty Enlightening the World''), 1886 statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi ( , ; 2 August 1834 – 4 October 1904) was a French sculptor and painter. He is best known for designing ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', commonly known as the Statue of Liberty.
Early life and education
Barthol ...
in New York City
* '' Goddess of Liberty'', a similar 1888 statue by Elijah E. Myers atop the Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 188 ...
dome, in Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
References
External links
Georgia House of Representatives history of ''Miss Freedom''
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061010000227/http://www.sos.state.ga.us/museum/virtual_tour/miss_freedom_replica.htm Picture of a replica statue of ''Miss Liberty'' located in the Capitolbr>GeorgiaInfo.com ''Miss Freedom'' entry
{{coord, 33, 44, 56.35, N, 84, 23, 17.33, W, type:landmark_region:US, display=title 1889 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) 1889 sculptures Colossal statues in the United States Copper sculptures in the United States Finial figures History of Atlanta Liberty symbols Outdoor sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) Statues in Atlanta