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A Madison icon returned Friday to Lake Mendota for the first time since 2010.

An inflatable, to-scale replica of the top of the Statue of Liberty’s head, arm and torch can be seen rising from the frozen surface of the lake near the Memorial Union.

The Wisconsin Union brought Lady Liberty back Friday to kick off its annual Winter Carnival, marking the return of a tradition that dates back 40 years this month.

The mirage first appeared on Lake Mendota in 1979 as a prank by the Pail and Shovel Party, which was led by UW-Madison alumni Leon Varjian and Jim Mallon.

The two made a campaign promise that, if elected to the Wisconsin Student Association, they would bring the Statue of Liberty to Madison. They made good on that promise, spending $4,000 to construct the statue’s head, crown, arm and torch out of Styrofoam and assembling it on the frozen lake on Feb. 22, 1979.

The original Lady Liberty was destroyed by an arsonist, but a replica occasionally reappeared on the lake’s frozen surface through 2010.