Don’t Forget About the Oxidization Process
Year: 2016
Mistake: The Statue of Liberty only turned green after decades of oxidization
The Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol that often springs to mind when we think of famous American monuments. Yet, it’s easy to forget that she wasn’t always the familiar shade of green. The transformation took place a few years after the statue’s construction, thanks to the effects of the air. In 1886, when the Statue of Liberty was unveiled, she was a coppery brown, gradually oxidizing to the green hue we know today by 1906.
However, even in the realm of animated musicals, historical accuracy can sometimes take a backseat to artistic interpretation. In the movie Leap!, there’s a scene where the main characters fly past the statue during its construction. The only hiccup? They appear to have overlooked the oxidizing process, depicting the statue as green from the very beginning.