Restoring the Statue of Liberty

Summary

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Witness History – Restoring the Statue of Liberty

Date: July 3, 2026
Host: Tim O'Callaghan
Guest: Peter Des Auer, Historical Architect

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Episode Overview

This episode of Witness History transports listeners to the early 1980s, when America’s iconic Statue of Liberty and neighboring Ellis Island underwent a massive restoration ahead of the statue’s centennial celebrations. Through vivid archive audio and the personal reflections of Peter Des Auer, one of the restoration architects, the episode explores the cultural, historical, and emotional significance of the project, underscoring the statue’s role as a national symbol and as the gateway for generations of immigrants.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Statue's Enduring Symbolism

• Opening Context ([00:04])
  Host Tim O’Callaghan introduces the statue’s origins: a French gift, standing 93 meters tall, which first greeted millions of immigrants seeking new lives in America.
  • Quote: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. That’s what’s written on the pedestal…” (Tim O’Callaghan, [01:16])

2. The Restoration Project Sparks

• Rising Concerns in the 1980s ([01:47])
  Peter Des Auer shares the project's enormity:

  • Quote: “It was a cast of thousands... It was like a movie set for a grand feature.” (Peter Des Auer, [01:47])

• Historic Backdrop ([02:04])
  The podcast provides a quick history of the statue’s construction in France, its journey in 240 boxes, and its transformation from copper brown to its famous green patina.

• Immigration’s Touchstone ([02:31])
  Archive audio recounts waves of hopeful immigrants, Ellis Island’s opening in 1892, and its closure in the 1950s.

3. Initiating the 1980s Renovation

• Presidential Impetus ([03:06])
  In 1982, President Ronald Reagan commissions the fundraising and restoration effort, envisioning Ellis Island as a national immigration museum.

• Personal Connections ([03:17])
  Des Auer notes the deep national resonance:

  • Quote: “It had a very familiar family and personal relationship to so many residents in New Jersey, New York, and throughout the nation.” (Peter Des Auer, [03:17])

4. Funding Challenges & Community Engagement

• The Funding Gap ([03:43]) With the U.S. Treasury declining to cover the $240 million cost, grassroots and business donations take center stage.
  • Quote: “If you made a hundred dollar contribution... that person’s name could be put on a large display.” (Peter Des Auer, [03:52])
  • Businesses given marketing rights to the statue’s image help finance the project.

5. The Restoration Work

• Specialist Skills Required ([05:02]) French metalworkers, Métayer Champenois, are called in for their expertise, using historic photos as guides.

  • Quote: “They made the torch and flame. They restored the face and the nose, the toes and the fingers…” (Peter Des Auer, [05:15])

• Authentic Restoration ([05:15]) Replacement pieces are “artificially patinaed” to blend with the weathered green surface.

• Challenges at Ellis Island ([05:39]) Extensive repairs are needed on the building and its seawall.

  • Quote: “We were taking a building that was dilapidated... I had to put on a scuba suit to go down and make sure that all of the injection was staying in place.” (Peter Des Auer, [05:45])

6. The Centennial Celebration: Liberty Weekend

• Race to the Finish ([06:22]) Immense public pressure—to unveil the statue during the 1986 Independence Day (“Liberty Weekend”)—drives the project.

• Events and Festivities ([06:22–06:56])

  • A flotilla, concert, blimp race, and fireworks fill New York Harbor.
  • Archive Excerpt: “A light that tonight will shortly cast its glow upon her as it has upon us for two centuries… guiding millions still to a future of peace and freedom. And now we will unveil that gallant lady.” (President Reagan, [07:04])

• On-site Reflections ([07:30]) Des Auer and his colleagues celebrate amidst thousands, as “grand spectacle in the harbor” unfolds.

• A British Perspective ([08:02]) The BBC’s Martin Bell describes the celebrations:

  • Quote: “If you want restraint, good taste, decorum, this is the wrong place to look. It is the home of hype and hucksterism. Sweet land of liquidity.” (Martin Bell via Tim O’Callaghan, [08:02])

• Legacy for the Nation ([08:37]) Des Auer reflects on the project’s impact:

  • Quote: “It unified the nation with a great focus and sense of purpose. It was a revival of patriotism and pride. And we did these projects. We finished them. We did a good job.” (Peter Des Auer, [08:37])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:59] – Introduction to the Statue’s centennial and planned celebrations
• [01:37] – Peter Des Auer begins sharing firsthand perspectives
• [03:06] – Reagan commissions restoration; Ellis Island’s new museum role
• [03:43] – Funding issues and public engagement
• [05:02] – French craftsmen and restoration details
• [05:45] – Restoration and technical challenges at Ellis Island
• [06:22] – Pressure to finish and Liberty Weekend events
• [07:04] – Reagan’s ceremonial remarks
• [07:30] – Peter Des Auer’s vivid memories of Liberty Weekend
• [08:37] – Reflections on national unity and pride

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was a cast of thousands... like a movie set for a grand feature.”
  — Peter Des Auer ([01:47])

• “If you made a hundred dollar contribution... that person’s name could be put on a large display.”
  — Peter Des Auer ([03:52])

• “They made the torch and flame. They restored the face and the nose, the toes and the fingers…”
  — Peter Des Auer ([05:15])

• “We are a nation of immigrants. People come here to find a better way of life.”
  — Peter Des Auer ([03:52])

• “It unified the nation with a great focus and sense of purpose. ...We did a good job.”
  — Peter Des Auer ([08:37])

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Tone & Style

The episode combines reverent nostalgia and vivid technical detail, balancing pride for the restoration achievement with personal anecdotes and a behind-the-scenes look. There’s a sense of collective ownership and celebration, lightly counterpointed by the wry British commentary on American spectacle.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a concise yet rich retelling of the 1980s restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, blending eyewitness testimony, technical insight, and cultural history. Through Peter Des Auer’s memories and vibrant archival clips, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the monument’s maintenance—not just as a feat of engineering, but as an act of national reaffirmation and celebration.

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Transcript

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

Foreign.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Hello, and welcome to Witness History from the BBC World Service with me, Tim o'. Callaghan. Feel free to skip ahead a little bit if you're already one of our regular listeners, but if you're new here, welcome along. We bring you moments from History with the people who were there to see it. Episodes are just nine minutes long, so if that sounds like something you'd enjoy, please subscribe and turn on your push notifications for wherever you get your BBC podcasts, so you never miss an episode. 40 years ago, one of America's most famous landmarks underwent a huge restoration project. Standing 93 meters high on an island in New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to mark the 100th anniversary of America's declaration of independence from Britain in the 1980s, it was decided she was in need of some work to keep her looking her best.

[Narrator/Reporter]

America's most famous landmark, the Statue of Liberty, is celebrating her 100th birthday. And to mark her centenary, she's had a facelift costing millions of pounds. Now she's having a party. It starts tomorrow in New York Harbor.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. That's what's written on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. It was often the first sight to greet immigrants arriving into America seeking a new life. They would be processed at the nearby Ellis island, which was also to be part of the renovation project.

[Peter Des Auer]

It was a thrilling time for me. It might even be the highlight of my career.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Peter Des Auer was one of the architects who had the huge task of restoring the two landmarks.

[Peter Des Auer]

It was a cast of thousands. There were so many professionals on so many teams, so many members of so many unions and crafts organizations coming and going and working. So it was like a movie set for a grand feature.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

But before we get into all of that, let me give you a bit of history about the monuments. The statue was first constructed in France out of copper, shipped to America in 240 boxes and eventually built and dedicated in October 1886. Then it wasn't its iconic green colour, but a more typical copper reddish brown, which lasted for around 20 years before being oxidized to the color it is today.

[Historical Narrator/Commentator]

In the 25 years that followed the Civil War, 10 million immigrants entered the United States, most of them from Europe. These people felt that they had arrived in a land of hope. As they sailed into New York harbor, they gazed at the giant Statue of Liberty holding her torch aloft.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

The immigrants continued to arrive, and in 1892, a special processing center in New York harbor on Ellis island opened. It closed in the 1950s.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This was where America sifted her new citizens, inspected them, classified them, and if necessary, investigated them.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

In 1982, US President Ronald Reagan appointed a commission to raise funds for the restoration projects. It would see the island become a national museum of immigration.

[Peter Des Auer]

When you went to New York, which is full of so many ethnicities and so many people who had parents and grandparents who came over to Ellis island when it first opened, it had a very familiar family and personal relationship to so many residents in New Jersey, New York and throughout the nation.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

But despite the president's enthusiasm, the U.S. treasury wasn't prepared to foot the $240 million bill. So where would the funds come from?

[Peter Des Auer]

There were many appeals for more money. I took many people on tours of the project sites at a distance and safely. Of course, if you made a hundred dollar contribution and you had an ancestor who came through Ellis island and the Statue of Liberty, that person's name could be put on a large display. There was an appeal for people to send in their ancestral archives if they had any relatives who came through Ellis island and the Statue of Liberty. It was a great time of pride. In other words, this is our purpose. We are a nation of immigrants. People come here to find people a better way of life. I think most of them did.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

A significant portion of the funding for the restoration project also came from businesses who were given the chance to use the statue's image to promote their products, including credit card firms, drinks brands, and even a deodorant company. In 1984, work finally began on the Statue of Liberty, with a mesh of scaffolding surrounding the structure. But now the issue was who could do the work.

[Peter Des Auer]

They were called the Metoyer Champenois, French

[Tim O'Callaghan]

metal workers who were called upon to help with certain sections that required specialist skills. They used the original 19th century photos as their guide.

[Peter Des Auer]

They made the torch in flame. They restored the face and the nose, the toes and the fingers, and many of the interior pieces on the Statue of Liberty. And the new pieces were then artificially patinaed or aged, you say, to fit in with the green patina of the rest of the statue.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Whilst work was going well on the statue, things weren't going as smoothly on Ellis Island.

[Peter Des Auer]

We were taking a building that was dilapidated and repairing all of its exterior features, interior features, and adding so many modern features such as lighting, electrical, mechanical, even the wall, the seawall that surrounded Ellis island was showing signs of decay. So we had a project to have all that stonework repointed injected with new concrete. I had to put on a scuba suit to go down and make sure that all of the injection was staying in place. I found several blowouts.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

There was a lot of pressure on the teams to make sure they finished the statue on time. Huge celebrations were planned for the Fourth of July weekend, American Independence Day of 1986, which had been renamed Liberty Weekend. A flotilla of boats that would sail past the statue. A concert, A grand blimp race where four airships, sponsored by Brams, raced up the Hudson river for charity firework displays. The list goes,

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

my fellow Americans.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

But luckily, by the night of the 3rd of July, everything was ready for President Reagan to unveil the restored statue.

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

A light that tonight will shortly cast its glow upon her as it has upon us for two centuries, keeping faith with a dream of long ago and guiding millions still to a future of peace and freedom. And now we will unveil that gallant lady. Thank you and God bless you all.

[Peter Des Auer]

I was in the audience with many of the professionals and persons with whom I was associated for the work itself. And then there was a grand spectacle in the harbor. The great tall ships paraded. Just imagine how New York harbor around Liberty island, full of boats and ships, people just enjoying the day, watching the Statue of Liberty basking under its new elegant eminence. When the scaffolding finally came down, whilst

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Peter and millions of Americans enjoyed it, the BBC's Martin Bell's coverage of the event was slightly more British in tone. If you want restraint, good taste, decorum, this is the wrong place to look. It is the home of hype and hucksterism. Sweet land of liquidity. Oh, cheer up, Martin. It was a party. The work on Ellis island finished in 1990 and Peter looks back on his contribution to the restorations with great pride.

[Peter Des Auer]

It unified the nation with a great focus and sense of purpose. It was a revival of patriotism and pride. And we did these projects. We finished them. We did a good job.

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

America, America.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Peter Disawa is a historical architect with the National Park Service of the United States of America. He's 77 years old and is still working. He was speaking to me, Tim o', Callaghan, for Witness History.

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

From Sea to Shining Sea.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, there are loads more on American history for you to check out. You can learn about the history of Ellis island with someone who entered the USA through there, or about how a train helped celebrate the country's 200th birthday in 1975, or learn about the start of the radio network, Voice of America. You can find them and more in the Witness History feed wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Imagine being here.

[Peter Des Auer]

Scientists have made the atomic bomb.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

The first one was dropped on a

[Narrator/Reporter]

Japanese city this morning. Here during the meeting, Mr. Mandela was informed of the government's decision regarding his release. And here witnesses have spoken of a wall of water that swept coastlines in Sri Lanka, Indonesia.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Hear from the people who were there.

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

They heard me praying. He was shooting and he just stopped. He said, I'm not going to. I'm gonna leave you here to tell the story.

[Peter Des Auer]

Knowing that you have a spy and that you're following a spy. It doesn't get any cooler than that.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

Witness History brings you first hand accounts.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Merkel gets up and says I'm going. And Tusk says I'm locking the door. Nobody's leaving. You're reaching a compromise or you're not leaving this room.

[Peter Des Auer]

Was it shopping carts that made you rich?

[Various Historical Voices/Archive Audio]

Well, they didn't make me poor.

[Historical Narrator/Commentator]

Listen now.

[Tim O'Callaghan]

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