The Statue of Liberty
It is time for Sepia Saturday already! I was really excited to see that Alan had prompted us to share photos about statues this week. I have been wanting to share our family visit to the Statue of Liberty way back in 1975. Though these aren't really sepia photos, I hope that you will enjoy them.
In August of 1975, the year before I graduated from high school, we went on our big family vacation to the East Coast and then on to Arkansas. We stayed in Maryland with my aunt, uncle and cousins the first week, and toured all over. One day, we went to Gettysburg. Coming from Oregon, I remember thinking how small the New England states are. You could drive through 5 of them in a day and back, easily. We spent a couple of days in Washington D.C., enjoying all of the sights, including a tour of The White House. I loved the The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History the most.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
This is so blurry! I wonder if the acid from the photo albums did this, or if that is just how those Instamatic cameras were?
On our way to the West Point Military Academy in upstate New York, we stayed overnight in Brooklyn, NY , and took the subway and then the ferry to Liberty Island to check out the Statue of Liberty.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The day was hot, muggy and smoggy. The humidity was horrible. The camera wasn't digital. But the memories of that day are still pretty fresh.
The Statue of Liberty was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who built The Eiffel Tower in France. To read more about the statue, you can start here: The Statue of Liberty. There are more documents and links that follow our family photos, if you want to learn more.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Here, we are on the ferry, just leaving The Battery and on our way to Liberty Island. This was everybody in our group, except for my little bro, who must be the one taking the picture.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
My Dad in his finest 70's outfit.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
It was so hot inside! My sister Julie and I are working our way up to Lady Liberty's crown in this picture. In the one below, the sign tells about how much hotter it is inside than outside.
The quarters are tight and the stairs are steep. Uncle Frank got behind a lady in a mini-skirt, and she kept turning around and glaring at him. He finally told her, "I can't help it lady!" He still laughs about that to this day.
The crown was closed right after 9/11, and didn't reopen until 2009. Here is an article about that, with some neat photos included: "CLICK HERE".
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Here are some views from the crown. To give you some sort of perspective, the tablet is 23 feet, 7" long, and 13 feet, 7" across.
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Rob, a fellow Sepia Saturday participant, did a post on Lady Liberty's arm and torch, if you want to take a look after you are all done here: "Arm of Liberty".
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
This is when we were leaving and returning to the mainland. It is so funny to think of the days when we had to limit our picture taking because it cost so much to develop them. If I were there today, I would have taken around 100 photos! I'm sure glad that my parents took these. I have some more from my camera, but I couldn't find them. When I do, I'll add them to this post.
More info and links:
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| Source: Satue of Liberty @ Fun Facts.org |
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| Source: Google Maps |
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| Source: The Mitchell Archives.com |
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| Source: Sleep New York.com |
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| Source: The Crane Insider Blog |
Sleep New York.com
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At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot! All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.  |
14 comments:
I am impressed you made it to the top. That was funny about the mini skirt. How could she blame him??
The closest I ever got was seeing it from the ferry. She is an impressive lady.
Laughed about the New England states. We noticed that when we finally got past Florida and Georgia, the states just flew by.
Oh what great family photos filled with such fond memories for all. Looks like a really fun and exciting trip, and you really posted some interest facts too. I must also mention I really like the very cool sewer's teapot and what an adorable dancing princess in the second photo. Great post as always, really enjoy what you put into Sepia Saturday! Thanks!
That looks like a fun trip. It sure is nice to be able to take a lot of pictures now and be able to see the result right away and not worry about the cost.
I felt as though I was there with you! I only saw the Statue from a distance so I really enjoyed the trip with you today. Somehow the blurriness of the shots adds to the effect. I notice that a lot of photos of mine from that era are fading too, or going bluey-green. I’m try to scan and capture them as fast as possible as the original negatives are lost.
Hi Patti,
We were young! I seem to remember Mom opting out. You sure couldn't be afraid of heights or claustrophobic or worried about heat exhaustion to climb up there. When I was looking at the link about the crown, I was amazed at how big her head really is. That was so funny about Uncle Frank; and he really couldn't help it, lol.
Hi Karen, thank you so much, I'm so happy that you enjoyed the post. I'm trying to figure out where you see the teapot and princess?
Postcardy, I know what you mean ... aren't digital cameras amazing really ... cell phones too. We didn't even dream of any of these things back then ... I guess this is what the Jestsons actually ended up with, lol.
Little Nell, thank you! I know what you mean about the pictures from that time. Look at all really old sepia ones that are perfectly clear, and then how the 60's/70's ones are not lasting. Great idea to scan now. I've been doing that too; but just to get them all into one spot.
Thanks again, friends.
Kathy M.
Your post gave me a much more vivid impression of the place than anything I've read before. And I'm never going to forget the lady in the mini-skirt.
Very interesting! It sure looks like a fun expedition. I guess you mustn't be afraid of heights though. BTW I think Karen saw the teapot and princess in your blog header.
I guess the mini-skirted lady didn't realize she should wear something else. Pictured an elevator perhaps. I've only seen it from a distance and I hate heights and cramped places so it's just as well.
Never gone over to the Statue of Liberty, but did climb to the top of the Washington Monument with my dad back in the 50s. My mother said, "No way!" It was hot and tiring the hole way up and then you had to go down.
A great post, so full of information and atmosphere. We sailed past the Statue in June, but it was early in the morning, cloudy and somehow too far away. I still know it better by the photographs and models I have seen of it than by almost visiting it.
Fabulous post! My favorite photo is the one looking down on the tablet from above -- gives it a different perspective. That must have been a great family vacation. I don't know many families that take vacations like this anymore. Of course, for many the economy makes vacations cost prohibitive. But for those that can afford it, it's the Caribbean or huge amusement resorts like Disney. Shame really. There's nothing like everyone piling in the station wagon and having a real Clark Griswold vacation! Thanks for sharing!!
OMG!!
just as i finished eating my dinner,
i came up on that picture looking down...
i don't do well with heights!!...
a fun post nonetheless, which qualifies as a sepia post. they're faded, aren't they!?!
:D~
HUGZ
Great pictures. I've never seen pictures taken inside the statue before, fascinating.
What Great Photos! This Is The Closest I've Ever Been To The Statue Of Liberty! Ive no head for heights ! I feel Dizzy!!
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