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The Statue of Liberty’s torch was originally ineffective as a lighthouse, but became a symbol of America for immigrants. In 1916, a system was created to light up the statue at night, and it was used for recruitment posters during World War I.
When the Statue of Liberty’s torch was first lit on the evening of November 1, 1886, the light was barely visible in Manhattan. The New York World newspaper said it was “more like a firefly than a lighthouse”. Since the statue was meant to be a beacon, the US Lighthouse Board pledged to do what they could to enhance the torch’s effect, but nothing worked. And so, in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt, realizing that the Statue of Liberty was a failure as a lighthouse, transferred jurisdiction over the statue to the War Department. But by then something else had happened: the statue had become a symbol of America for immigrants who arrived from Europe and set their sights further. While not exactly useful in a practical way, the statue was still a welcoming beacon to anyone seeking a new life in a new land.
Lady Liberty lights the way:
In 1916, the New York World raised $30,000 USD for a system that would light up the statue at night. An underwater cable carried electricity from the mainland, and floodlights were placed along the walls of Fort Wood.
Additionally, sculptor Gutzon Borglum (who also created Mount Rushmore) redesigned the torch, replacing much of the original copper with stained glass. On December 2, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson pressed a telegraph key which turned on the lights, successfully illuminating the statue.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, images of the statue were prominently displayed on recruitment posters and Liberty Bond units urging Americans to support the war.
