The Texas Goddess was preceded by other famous women icons, including the Statue of Freedom, who has looked out triumphantly from her permanent residence atop the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. since 1863. The Statue of Liberty followed in 1886, arriving in New York Harbor as a gift of friendship from France. Two years later, in February 1888, the Goddess of Liberty was assembled atop the new Texas capitol building, where she resided proudly until 1985. An aluminum alloy replica replaced her atop the Capitol in 1986. The iron and zinc original was restored for display at the Bullock Museum where it can be seen today, gazing down from its prominent location on the second floor.

Image courtesy of Texas State Library and Archives Commission.