The Port of New York and New Jersey Welcomes the Statue of Liberty’s Little Sister

The Port of New York and New Jersey Welcomes the Statue of Liberty’s Little Sister

The Port of New York and New Jersey welcomed the Statue of Liberty’s “little sister” on June 30 at the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal. The 1,000-pound, nine-foot-tall statue is a replica made from the same plaster mold as the 1878 original by Auguste Bartholdi. She was removed from her base at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris on June 23 and packed in a specially designed case with plexiglass walls designed for transporting sculptures.

Little Lady Liberty followed the same path as the original Statue of Liberty, making the journey from Le Havre, France, aboard the 6,500-TEU CMA CGM NERVAL, in a 20-foot shipping container embellished with a unique design to commemorate the project. CMA CGM worked in partnership with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers and the Embassy of France in the United States to make this special transport happen.

A ceremony welcomed her arrival at the Port of New York and New Jersey with Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Kevin O’Toole, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Port Director Ed Fox, President of CMA CGM and APL North America Ed Aldridge, French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in attendance. “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is honored to be part of this historic moment during a historic year for the agency, which is commemorating its centennial this year,” said O’Toole.

CEVA Logistics, CMA CGM Group’s logistics subsidiary, will transport and install the new statue from the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal to Ellis Island. As part of a cooperation agreement with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and the National Park Service, Little Lady Liberty will celebrate Independence Day with its full-scale sister, remaining on display through July 6. 

The statue, which serves as a symbol of friendship between the people of France and the United States, results from collaborative efforts between historians, artists, engineers, and cultural institutions and companies from both countries. After she visits Ellis Island, Little Lady Liberty will be transported to her final destination at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., and be unveiled on Bastille Day, July 14.

View photos here.

Watch ceremony here.