![]() ![]() The hats dated back to ancient times, when versions had been worn by free men in Greek and Roman civilizations, but had more recently come to symbolize the liberty sought by revolutionaries in the United States and France. In a 19th century artistic evocation of freedom or liberty, explains the office of the Architect of the Capitol, that “liberty cap” symbol (a soft, cone-shaped hat, often depicted in red) would be expected and normal. As a result, part of an eagle with a lot of feathers was scrunched on Liberty‘s head, and a circle of stars was added. This was too much for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. “These emblems are such,” said he confidently, “as the mass of our people will easily understand.” But somewhere along the line the olive branch was dropped, and for the head wreath Crawford substituted a liberty cap in a tribute to the freeing of the Phrygian slaves in ancient times. Sculptor Crawford endowed his Armed Liberty with every cliche available-an olive branch, a wreath of wheat and laurel, the customary sword and shield. It is a lady of earnest intention but of dubious quality, who is a member of a whole family of official American follies whose lives have been perfectly miserable. It is the strange figure that looms behind the heads of Senator Margaret Chase Smith and her opponent, Maine Assemblywoman Lucia Cormier, on this week’s cover of TIME. statue, cast in bronze, was raised by steam hoist to its permanent perch. The model he made was nearly lost at sea, but eventually his 14,985-lb. Victories and Liberties are rather pagan emblems, but a Liberty, I fear, is the best we can get.” And so Sculptor Thomas Crawford set to work in his studio in Rome. ![]() What or whom should the statue represent? ”We have too many Washingtons,” wrote the captain firmly on May 11, 1855. Capitol sat down to write a letter to the sculptor who was to design the statue that would adorn it. The Army engineer in charge of putting a new dome on top of the U.S. ![]()
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