Restoring the Statue of Liberty

Between 1984 and 1986, to celebrate 100 years since it was dedicated, the Statue of Liberty underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration project.

The statue was a gift to the USA by France, to celebrate 100 years of American independence.

The project also restored the former immigration processing centre on the nearby Ellis Island, which became a National Museum of Immigration.

The entire project was funded by private investment.

Peter Dessauer, one of the architects who oversaw the process, tells Tim O’Callaghan about the challenges involved.

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(Photo: The Statue of Liberty under restoration in 1985. Credit: Gene Kappock/NY Daily News via Getty Images)