The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, 1875-1985

        A gift from the French people, the Statue of Liberty has long been regarded as symbolic of the USA as a land of hope, freedom, and democracy.  Half a mile away lies Ellis Island.  To the 17 million European immigrants who passed through this island between 1892 and 1954, Ellis Island was the gateway to the USA and the Statue of Liberty symbolized the American Dream.

        The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. undertook the restoration of the Statue in 1986 and sponsored a photo exhibition of "Images of Liberty—100 Years of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island." Some of the photos taken between 1875 and 1985 and reproduced by the Foundation are now on display on the second floor of the library of the Institute of European and American Studies.