2023: Upward Bound Trip – Statue of Liberty
I have always dreamed of seeing the Statue of Liberty up close. I had seen it once from the deck of a cruise ship, but it wasn’t quite the same as experiencing it in person. We took the ferry over to Liberty Island, and I captured several photos of the statue from the ferry, both coming and going. One of my favorite shots is featured at the top of the right-hand page.
The Statue of Liberty, a global symbol of freedom and democracy, stands proudly on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Gifted to the United States by France in 1886, the statue was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with its iron framework engineered by Gustave Eiffel. Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, she holds a torch in one hand and a tablet inscribed with the date of American independence, July 4, 1776, in the other. Standing at 305 feet tall from base to torch, she has become an enduring emblem of hope and opportunity, welcoming millions of immigrants arriving in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can explore the statue’s rich history at the museum on Liberty Island and climb to her pedestal or crown for breathtaking views of the New York City skyline. The Statue of Liberty continues to inspire as a testament to the enduring values of justice and freedom.
This spread was an exciting challenge to design. The beautiful background paper on the left-hand side was so striking that I didn’t want to distract from it by adding too many photos. Instead, I decided to have my Cricut Maker write out the poem “The New Colossus”, which was written by American poet Emma Lazarus in 1883, is famously associated with the Statue of Liberty. The poem was originally composed to help raise funds for the statue’s pedestal and later became an integral symbol of its meaning. Its most iconic lines, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” are engraved on a bronze plaque mounted inside the pedestal. The poem reimagines the Statue of Liberty as a welcoming “Mother of Exiles,” contrasting her with the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, which symbolized conquest and power. Instead, Lazarus’s “New Colossus” embodies compassion, hope, and the promise of opportunity for immigrants arriving in America. Over time, it has become a powerful emblem of the United States’ identity as a haven for those seeking freedom and a better life. You can click on the photo above to zoom in and read the poem in its entirety.
I think this design is a fitting tribute to such an iconic statue. For the right-hand page, I selected three of my best photos from the 40 I took and complemented them with a 7-layer SVG torch design I purchased on Etsy. Cutting and assembling the torch took quite a while, but I am thrilled with how it turned out. I chose an orange and yellow theme for the page to match the sunset hues in the image on the left-hand side, creating a cohesive and warm design that honors the majesty of the Statue of Liberty.
To watch the construction of this spread click on the video below:
Categories: 2023, History Museum, Upward Bound Trip 2023
MASCrapping 