1883 "Liberty Enlightening the World" Statue of Liberty Lithograph by Root & Tinkler

This 1883 color lithograph, entitled "Liberty Enlightening the World," depicts the Statue of Liberty rising from New York Harbor. The print was produced two years before the Statue of Liberty had even arrived in New York City.  The print was designed to be distributed to the American press ahead of the statue's arrival, though it may not have attained widespread production, as few examples survive today. The printing of this lithograph was sponsored by the Travelers Insurance Agency, located in Hartford, Connecticut, with advertising for the company below the image. This print was published by Root & Tinker and lithographed by Buek & Linder, both New York based companies. Officially named “Liberty Enlightening the World” by the artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the statue symbolized the everlasting friendship between the United States and France that began during the American Revolution. Funding for the statue was a joint effort between the U.S. and France. France was respons