@basstrom188 Interesting. I had to Google that.
US National Park Service – “In 1869, the Egyptian government expressed interest in designing a lighthouse for the Suez Canal. Eager and excited, Bartholdi designed a colossal statue of a robed woman holding a torch, which he called Egypt (or Progress) Brings Light to Asia. When he attended the canal’s inauguration, however, Bartholdi was informed that he would not be able to proceed with the lighthouse.
“Although disappointed, Bartholdi received a second chance to design a colossal statue. In 1865, Édouard de Laboulaye proposed that a monument representing freedom and democracy be created for the United States. Bartholdi was a great supporter of de Laboulaye’s idea and in 1870 he began designing the Statue of “Liberty Enlightening the World.”
This blog shows a Bartholdi sketch and what looks like an early plaster model – Racing Nelly Bly – Bartholdi’s Statue Of Liberty Slated For Suez Canal