Our mischievous puppy pal Liberty pays tribute to the dog depicted in Johannes A. S. Oertel's (1823-1909) Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, New York City. Liberty is more than a cuddly companion, he is The New York Historical's unofficial mascot, and a fun way to spark curiosity and imagination.
Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, New York City documents the destruction of the gilded lead statue of King George III of Great Britain in Bowling Green, N.Y., by New Yorkers and Continental soldiery, after the Declaration of Independence had been read to Washington's troops on the Commons on July 9, 1776. In the painting, Liberty the dog is seen in the foreground running about. Fragments of the statue and the stone base on which it stood are preserved in the museum's collection.
