
The Arrival Of Lady Liberty
Still the tallest statue in the USA, the Statue of Liberty arrived from France - in no less than 214 crates - in New York City on 17th June, 1885.
Costing just $10m in today’s money, the Lady went on to symbolise the immigrant journey - even though the designers and engineers behind it had no such intention. And it wasn’t supposed to be green, either - that’s because it’s oxidized.
In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion consider whether NYC bagged themselves a bargain, reveal the origins of the ‘ticker tape parade’, and wonder if they could ever do something so epic for their Mums...
Further Reading:
• The Statue of Liberty: Building an Icon (The B1M, 2017):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QM0tipFQ9c
• History on ‘How The Statue of Liberty Became An Icon’:
https://www.history.com/news/statue-of-liberty-icon-building
• Reuters fact-check: why Lady Liberty is NOT an enslaved black woman (2020):
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-statue-liberty-design-idUSKBN24B2L1
This episode first aired in 2021
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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.
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Today In History with The Retrospectors
Curious, funny, surprising daily history - with Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina and Arion McNicoll.
From the invention of the Game Boy to the Mancunian beer-poisoning of 1900, from Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain to America's Nazi summer schools... each day we uncover an unexpected story for the ages. In just ten minutes!
Best Daily Podcast (British Podcast Awards 2023 nominee).
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