Statue of Liberty to get webcams for torch (PHOTOS)
The Statue of Liberty seen through fog before the 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty ceremony on Liberty Island in New York City, Sept. 22, 2011.
The Statue of Liberty is getting some high-tech gifts for the 125th birthday. She'll have webcams installed on her torch, so that viewers can gaze out at New York Harbor and read the tablet in her hands, reports USA Today.
The five torch cams will be turned on Friday, when a ceremony celebrating the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on Oct 28, 1886.
The webcam will allow tourists to see views from Lady Liberty's torch that have been unavailable to the public since 1916, explained Stephen A. Briganti, the president of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Inc.
Planet Pic: Statue of Liberty's 125 Anniversary
"Most of the people in the world have seen [the Statue of Liberty] but they have not seen it like this. It will be a visit that so many people, including New Yorkers, have never taken before," he said, the Washington Post reports.
Moreover, Internet users all over the world can have four views from the torch, including an 180-degree stitched panorama of the harbor. They will be able to watch ships go by Liberty Island, and watch the building of the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center.
"The statue has evolved in meaning since she first graced our shores 125 years ago," David Luchsinger, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, said in a statement.
"She began as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States, evolved into a symbol of our great country, and is known today as an international symbol of freedom for people everywhere. This coming Friday is an opportunity to celebrate her complete legacy."
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