Something for Sunday

Well, I just want to slip in a little something today. Our trip was great--but nearly ruined by the airlines. More on that later. 

One of the reasons I love to travel is that I LOVE to learn new things. More on that later too. But for right now, here's something I learned about the Statue of Liberty:

I never thought about the likeness of the statue being based on a real life person. Nor did I ever think she was beautiful. But the lady she was based on certainly was. Here's the story:

The face of the Statue of Liberty. Isabella Boyer's life is like an exciting novel. She was born in Paris, the daughter of an African pastry chef and an English mother. Isabella had a special beauty and, at age 20, she married Isaac Singer, the sewing machine maker, who was 50 years old. After Singer's death, Isabella became the richest woman in the country. It is not surprising that she was chosen as the model for the Statue of Liberty, as she embodied the American dream. Widowed, Isabella traveled the world and married the Dutch violinist Victor Robstett, becoming a countess. He became a prominent figure in America and Europe, and met the French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi at a world event. Bartholdi, impressed by her beauty and history, used her face as a model for the Statue of Liberty. Isabella married a third time and died in Paris in 1904 at age 62, but her face lives on in the iconic statue in New York, symbolizing freedom and American pride.