Miss Freedom

Miss Freedom is a white-painted hollow copper statue on the dome of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, rising about 26 feet (8 meters) tall. It holds a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, with internal tube systems that allow maintenance of the lighting equipment.

The statue was installed in 1889, manufactured by W.H. Mullins Manufacturing Company in Salem, Ohio, based on designs by the architectural firm Edbrooke and Burnham. It represents the architectural ambitions of that era.

The statue wears a Phrygian cap topped with a star, a classical symbol of freedom and justice positioned above the seat of government. This form appears in many democratic monuments and shapes how people see the Capitol building.

The statue sits high on the Capitol dome and is best viewed from outside by looking up from the surrounding plaza. The best light for photographs comes during early morning or late afternoon.

The torch was originally unlit and remained dark for about 70 years until an electrical system was added in 1959. The lamp used mercury vapor technology, which produced a distinctive blue-green glow visible across downtown.