Amazing images of America's greatest landmarks as they were being built -from the Empire State Building to Mount Rushmore (21 Pics)

The US has some of the most recognisable tourist attractions in the world but these stunning pictures show what they looked like before they were complete

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America's founding beliefs - and this is what it looked like while it was still being built in 1885

The iconic statue was built in France and given to the Americans as thank-you for helping them obtain their independence

The Statue of Liberty as it currently stands, and one of the most recognisable sights on the planet

Mount Rushmore took 14 years to carve between 1927-41 - this picture is from 1933 before all four heads were in place

The mount has four presidents faces carved into it: Theodore Roosevelt; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson

New York's iconic Flatiron building being built between 1902-08

The Flatiron Building was originally called the Fuller building but was renamed by locals because of its odd shape

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, under construction in 1936

Golden Gate Bridge's cables were made by the same company that built the Brooklyn Bridge

Hoover Dam being constructed it 1932, it was not finished until 1936

Hoover Dam sits in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the boarder between Nevada and Arizona

US Capitol Building under construction, the original building was finished in 1800 but has been expanded greatly since

US Capitol Building, the dome is one of the features added since 1800

The Empire State Building in 1931, the building was officially opened on May 1 1931

Empire State Building became the tallest building in the world in 1931, surpassing the Chrysler Building by a whopping 204 feet

The Lincoln memorial under construction in 1920

The Lincoln Memorial took 8 years to build between 1914-22

Manhattan Bridge being constructed in 1909

Manhattan Bridge started construction in 1901 but was not open for traffic until December 31, 1909

The Washington Monument being built in 1860

The Monument took 40 years to construct between 1848-88, it stands at 169m tall