The guitar’s entire body is made from wood that came from the Main Building at Ellis Island, and the decorative inlay and hardware were crafted from copper salvaged during the Statue of Liberty’s restoration. Additionally, Gibson created a unique display for the guitar from a piece of one of the Statue’s armature bars – part of the framework that attaches her copper skin to her internal support structure.

After playing a few riffs on The Spirit of America, Grammy Award-winning guitarist Duane Eddy presented the guitar to Superintendent Dave Luchsinger, signaling the beginning of its year-long exhibition on the island.

“The Spirit of America guitar presents a unique opportunity to express through a contemporary medium, a rich historic past and the promise for a brighter future that the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island stories tell,” said Luchsinger. “The park is thrilled to be able to offer this exhibit to our visitors, and we were honored to have legendary guitarist Duane Eddy and his wife as our special guests at the unveiling of the exhibit.”

The Spirit of America Gibson Les Paul Guitar will be on display at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum through August 1, 2011. To learn more about the guitar and how it was commissioned, visit http://www.ellisisland.org/guitar/guitar.asp