Oxidised copper turned the Statue of Liberty green

Believe it or not, when New York’s Statue of Liberty was unveiled in 1886, it was a dull brown colour. Comprised of more than 80 tonnes of copper, the statue began to turn green due to the oxidation of its copper plating (when copper is exposed to water and air it loses electrons and consequently turns green).

By 1920, the transition to green was complete, 34........

© Dawn Young Magazine