_______This is one of the five official replicas of the Statue of Liberty that are visible in Paris, and I came across this one in an unexpected way two weeks ago. Its size is the exact quarter of the Statue of Liberty which was offered to the USA by my country, but here, this copy of Lady Liberty was donated by the USA to France, and erected on the 'Ile-aux-Cygnes' ( Swan Island) on the river Seine in 1889, in the West of Paris, four years after the one on Liberty Island, in Manhattan. Originally, it was facing the Eiffel tower, so as to commemorate both the American declaration of Independence and the 'Exposition Universelle', but Auguste Bartholdi, the designer of both statues, wished his replica would face the USA, westwards; sadly enough, his wish didn't come true while he was alive. The replica was turned westwards ( facing the USA) only 48 years later, on the second 'Exposition Universelle' in Paris.In 1998, the replica was lent and sent to Japan for a whole year, to celebrate the 'year of France' there. It was set on a small island in Tokyo Bay.To cut a long story short, the Paris replica is also holding a book, on which the words "IV Juillet 1776 = XIV Juillet 1789" ( "IV July 1776 = XIV July 1789") are carved in gold letters, to commemorate the birth of these two independent nations.
_______Thank you so much for your nice comments in my gallery ... Have a nice weekend!