Restoration of the Statue of Liberty

July 4, 1986 marked the unveiling of the restored Statue of Liberty. She has been standing on Liberty Island since her dedication ceremony on October 28, 1886.

In 1981, the French-American Committee for the Restoration of the Statue of Liberty was formed. Preliminary assessments were made to determine what repairs were needed, and costs. A foundation was formed to oversee fund-raising and work efforts for the restoration of both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Over $295 million was raised from private donations to fund the restoration work.

The desirable natural patina of the copper skin of the Statue of Liberty remains. However some corrosion of the copper inside the statue had occurred. The deterioration of the iron support framework inside the Statue of Liberty was one of the major concerns, especially the arm holding the torch. Continuous stress and metal fatigue had caused the iron to become distorted.  There was also some pitting of the outer copper skin. The torch was badly deteriorated, some rust stains were visible on the outer copper skin, and paint was peeling from the interior surfaces. The copper skin itself was still intact, it was the corrosion of the other metals that caused problems.

Up to ten layers of protective coatings had been applied inside the statue over the years. These had included layers of coal tar, lead, and aluminum. These layers were removed by first freezing with minus 350 degrees liquid nitrogen and then blasting them away with coarse grain sodium bicarbonate, a method that left nothing corrosive behind. The clean surfaces were treated with benzotriazole to prevent recurring corrosion. The iron framework surfaces were blasted clean with an abrasive, then treated with a rust inhibitor, and finally sealed with polyurethane to protect from graffiti.