Removal of the Statue of Liberty's original torch

During the 1984–1986 restoration of the Statue of Liberty, the statue’s original copper torch-installed in 1886-was removed because of structural corrosion and replaced with a gilded replica. The original torch was preserved and is on display inside the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island, so it no longer occupies its original exterior position atop the statue. The replacement and preservation are documented as part of the statue’s major conservation effort.