AMAZING photos from the late 1800s have been unearthed showing the iconic Statue of Liberty being built in Paris before it was boxed up and shipped out to the States.

Today the incredible bronze statue weighing in at 225 tonnes sits proud on Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay, but it is little known that the statue spent several years being exhibited around the world after it was gifted to the Americans by the French.

The images show the construction process and the unmistakeable head of the Statue of Liberty on display in the French capital, before the arm and torch were exhibited in Philadelphia and in Madison Square, Manhattan.

On October 28, 1886, the colossal Statue of Liberty was unveiled on Liberty Island in New York harbour, instantly claiming the title of the tallest structure in the city.

However, in the years leading up to this momentous event, the construction of Lady Liberty faced significant challenges. To secure funding for her completion, various parts of the statue were displayed in a fragmented state.

The creation of this neoclassical sculpture, representing the Roman god of freedom, was undertaken by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi with its metal framework built by none other than Gustave Eiffel.

Delays in the project were largely attributed to the turbulent political situation in France, and it wasn’t until the 1870s that work finally began on Liberty Enlightening the World as it was then known.

An agreement was reached, with the French government financing the statue’s construction, while the US government was responsible for providing the site and building its pedestal.

From 1876 to 1882, the arm was exhibited at Madison Square Park in Manhattan as part of an effort to promote the sculpture to New Yorkers.

The head and shoulders of Lady Liberty were subsequently completed in 1878, and these isolated segments were promptly showcased at the Paris International Exposition.

Visitors could purchase tickets to explore the interior of the statue, and they also had the option to gain access to the behind-the-scenes construction workshops of the Statue of Liberty.

Between 1881 and 1884, the entire statue, following the return of the right arm across the Atlantic, was ultimately assembled in a public park in Paris to test the structural integrity that would support her.

During this period, Parisians affectionately referred to the sculpture as the ‘Lady of the Park.’

However, even after these promotional tours, the construction of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal in America faced a financial threat as late as 1885.

Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of the newspaper New York World, initiated a campaign to raise $100,000, equivalent to $2.3 million today (£1.9m), and pledged to publish the names of all contributors, regardless of the amount donated.

This campaign captured the imagination of New Yorkers, drawing over 120,000 donations, most of whom contributed less than a dollar.

As donations poured in, work resumed on the pedestal, and on June 17, 1885, a French steamer arrived in New York carrying the disassembled crates of the Statue of Liberty.

Some 200,000 people lined the docks to welcome the ship’s arrival, and four months later, the complete Statue of Liberty was unveiled, ultimately becoming an enduring international symbol of hope, freedom, and the American dream.

And the site of more selfies than even Pulitzer could have dreamed of.