Pont de Bir-Hakeim

The Bir-Hakeim Bridge crosses the Seine River, just south of the Eiffel Tower. Tourists may often not have the time to go so far, but it’s actually one of the best places to watch the Tower and it’s also a beautiful piece of art by itself.

The bridge was built (actually rebuilt) in 1905 in two levels, allowing the passage of the then new metro, plus cars, pedestrians, bikers… It was originally called the Passy Bridge, named after the area Passy on the right bank. It got its new name in 1948 to commemorate the battle of Bir Hakeim (Libya 1942-43).

The two Scottish guys you can see on one of the pictures are probably here for the soccer game France – Scotland, played last night (0-1) or maybe on their way to the rugby match in Toulouse, where France also meets Scotland (World Championships) next weekend.

The bridge crosses the Ile des Cygnes (the Swan Island). You can use some stairs and then take a walk all along the narrow island to its extreme south, where you can find the smaller version of the Statue of Liberty.

The statue you see is a gift from the Danish colony in France (1930) and the decorations on the side of the bridge date from its creation; symbols of the French nation are fixed to the bridge.

The bridge has "co-starred" in several films, the most famous one perhaps being the Last Tango in Paris by Bertolucci with Marlon Brando; the apartment was situated in the last corner building, just at the starting point of the bridge.

Some of the original photos can be seen on my other blog , "Peter-photos".

Other Statues of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (full name actually Liberty Enlightening the World) that we all know was a gift by France in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of the United States. Frédéric Bartholdi sculpted and Gustave Eiffel engineered the internal structure.

There are different opinions on who may have served as a model, but it could be the widowed Isabella Eugenie Boyer, wife of the sewing-machine industrial Isaac Singer.

Before making the big version, a smaller one was made already in 1870. It was offered by the sculptor and can now be found in the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxemburg Garden). You may not know that the sculptor initially had the idea that a giant version of his statue should be used as a lighthouse at the entrance of the Suez Canal, then under construction.

The statue was constructed in the 17th arrondissement, 25 rue de Chazelles, not far from where I live. The workshop is gone and replaced by a modern apartment building. On this slide you can see that at least the building on the left side still is there.The statue was completed in Paris, but was put into pieces before the transport and reassembled. It seems that the stones on which the statue is standing on Liberty Island also were coming from France.

A smaller, but still big, copy of the statue (the photo on the top) can be found at the end of Ile de Cygnes (Swan Island) in the Seine River, slightly downstream of the Eiffel Tower. The lady looks in the direction of New York. This is a gift by the community of Americans in Paris (1889).

A full size copy of the torch can be found at the Pont (Bridge) d’Alma. As Lady Diana died accidentally in the tunnel just under the torch, it has also become her unofficial souvenir place. The reason for the great number of people around the torch, flowers etc. is of course the 10th anniversary of her death (August 31st).