why did gutzon borglum make mount rushmore

Master carver Gutzon Borglum created Mount Rushmore

to commemorate America’s first 150 years as a free country. In his own words, Borglum states that the four presidents were chosen to, “Commemorate the founding, growth, preservation, and development to the United States of America.” What makes Mount Rushmore so special?

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Why did Borglum decide to make Mount Rushmore?

Borglum decided to use Mount Rushmore for the sculpture, since it seemed to be the easiest and most stable of the cliffs to work on. Having decided on the location of the sculpture, Borglum decided to make the monument of four presidents of the United States.

What is Gutzon Borglum famous for?

Gutzon Borglum. John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American artist and sculptor. He is most associated with his creation of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota.

Why did Borglum choose Washington as the most prominent figure on the mountain?

He was the father of the new country and laid the foundation of American democracy. Because of his importance, Borglum chose Washington to be the most prominent figure on the mountain and represent the birth of the United States.

What did William Borglum do for Stone Mountain?

Borglum was initially involved in the carving of Stone Mountain in Georgia. Borglum's nativist stances made him seem an ideologically sympathetic choice to carve a memorial to heroes of the Confederate States of America, planned for Stone Mountain, Georgia.

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Why were they chosen for Mount Rushmore?

Gutzon Borglum selected these four presidents because from his perspective, they represented the most important events in the history of the United States. Would another artist at that time, or perhaps a modern artist choose differently?

Why did Borglum carve his sculpture into Mount Rushmore instead of the Needles?

First, Borglum had to find a suitable location for the sculpting to be conducted. Robinson suggested a place called the Needles, but Borglum found the rock to be too fragile to carve. He chose Mount Rushmore because of its southeastern exposure and its solid granite surface (Rushmore's Facelift).

Why did the sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose each of the four presidents for Mount Rushmore?

These four distinguished Mount Rushmore presidents were chosen by the lead sculptor of the monument project, Gutzon Borglum, because of their role in preserving the country and expanding it.

Who carved Mt Rushmore and why?

Borglum came to South Dakota in 1924 at the age of 57 and agreed in principle to do the project. His dismissal from Stone Mountain made it possible to return to South Dakota in the summer of 1925 and set in motion the machinery that eventually led to the creation of Mount Rushmore.

Who was originally supposed to be on Mount Rushmore?

36. The faces appear in the order: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Lincoln. 37. Jefferson was originally intended to be on Washington's right.

What is the story behind Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore pays patriotic tribute to four United States presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—with 60-foot-tall faces carved into a mountainside in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Who is the 5th face on Mount Rushmore?

There is no secret fifth face carved into Mount Rushmore. However, for over 20 years, visitors were greeted by Ben Black Elk, unofficially called the fifth face of Mount Rushmore.

What are 3 important facts about Mount Rushmore?

Nine Secrets of Mount RushmoreThe original plan featured a different set of figures.Calvin Coolidge was courted for federal funds.Theodore Roosevelt isn't wearing glasses.There's a hidden chamber behind Lincoln's head.Attempts have been made to add a fifth face.The best views are from the President's Trail.More items...•

Who are the 4 faces on Mt Rushmore?

Every year, the many visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota draw inspiration from the colossal portraits of four outstanding presidents of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Will Crazy Horse ever be finished?

Ultimately, the monument remains incomplete, and is actually not based on any known imagery of Crazy Horse — but an artistic representation of the man. If finished, it will be the second-largest monument in the world — behind only the Statue of Unity in India.

Who carved Crazy Horse?

Sculptor Korczak ZiolkowskiSculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began the world's largest mountain carving in 1948. Members of his family and their supporters are continuing his artistic intent to create a massive statue that will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high.

How long did it take to carve out Mount Rushmore?

14 yearsThe 60-foot bust memorial was the vision of sculptor Gutzon Borglum and took 14 years to complete. From 1927 to 1941 men and women worked to blast and carve the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln into the South Dakota mountain.

When did they carve Mount Rushmore?

October 4, 1927Recruiting renowned sculptor Gutzon Borglum to the project, Doane and other prominent South Dakota leaders secured Congressional support in 1925 and began to raise funds, including $250,000 from the federal government. Carving began on October 4, 1927, removing tons of granite and slowly shaping the mountain.

Is there a 5th face on Mount Rushmore?

Is there a fifth face on Mount Rushmore? There is no secret fifth face carved into Mount Rushmore. However, for over 20 years, visitors were greeted by Ben Black Elk, unofficially called the fifth face of Mount Rushmore.

How did they carve Mount Rushmore?

90% of the mountain was carved using dynamite . The powdermen would cut and set charges of dynamite of specific sizes to remove precise amounts of rock. Before the dynamite charges could be set off, the workers would have to be cleared from the mountain.

What are 3 important facts about Mount Rushmore?

Nine Secrets of Mount RushmoreThe original plan featured a different set of figures.Calvin Coolidge was courted for federal funds.Theodore Roosevelt isn't wearing glasses.There's a hidden chamber behind Lincoln's head.Attempts have been made to add a fifth face.The best views are from the President's Trail.More items...•

Where was Gutzon Borglum born?

Early life. The son of Danish immigrants, Gutzon Borglum was born in 1867 in St. Charles in what was then Idaho Territory. Borglum was a child of Mormon polygamy. His father, Jens Møller Haugaard Børglum (1839–1909), came from the village of Børglum in northwestern Denmark. He had two wives when he lived in Idaho: Gutzon's mother, ...

What did Borglum do?

A "patriot," believing that the "monuments we have built are not our own," he looked to create art that was "American, drawn from American sources, memorializing American achievement," according to a 1908 interview. Borglum was highly suited to the competitive environment surrounding the contracts for public buildings and monuments, and his public sculptures are found all around the United States.

How many wives did Gutzon have?

He had two wives when he lived in Idaho: Gutzon's mother, Christina Mikkelsen Børglum (1847–1871), and her sister Ida, who was Jens's first wife. Jens Borglum decided to leave Mormonism and moved to Omaha, Nebraska where polygamy was both illegal and taboo.

What was the name of the monument that Borglum carved?

Borglum was initially involved in the carving of Stone Mountain in Georgia. Borglum's nativist stances made him seem an ideologically sympathetic choice to carve a memorial to heroes of the Confederate States of America, planned for Stone Mountain, Georgia. In 1915, coinciding with the Klan-glorifying, highly successful The Birth of a Nation, he was approached by the United Daughters of the Confederacy with a project for sculpting a 20-foot (6 m) high bust of General Robert E. Lee on the mountain's 800-foot (240 m) rockface. Borglum accepted, but told the committee, "Ladies, a twenty-foot head of Lee on that mountainside would look like a postage stamp on a barn door."

How did Borglum die?

Borglum died in 1941 of a heart attack and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

What was the name of the show that Borglum organized?

Borglum was active in the committee that organized the New York Armory Show of 1913, the birthplace of modernism in American art. By the time the show was ready to open, however, Borglum had resigned from the committee, feeling that the emphasis on avant-garde works had co-opted the original premise of the show and made traditional artists like himself look provincial. He moved into an estate in Stamford, Connecticut in 1914 and lived there for 10 years. He sheltered Czechoslovak Legion members on his land at Stamford in 1917.

What are the works of Borglum?

Four public works by Borglum are in Newark, New Jersey: Seated Lincoln (1911), Indian and the Puritan (1916), Wars of America (1926), and a stele with bas-relief, First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark (1916). In 1912, the Nathaniel Wheeler Memorial Fountain was dedicated in Bridgeport, Connecticut .

Why did Borglum sculpt his portraits into the granite of Mount Rushmore?

Borglum was of the mindset that American art should be “…built into, cut into, the crust of this earth so that those records would have to melt or by wind be worn to dust before the record…could, as Lincoln said, ‘perish from the earth.’” When he carved his presidential portraits into the stable granite of Mount Rushmore, he fully intended for the memorial to endure, like Stonehenge, long past people’s understanding of it.

Who was Gutzon Borglum?

In August 1924, Robinson wrote to Gutzon Borglum, an ambitious sculptor who was already carving on a granite cliff face in Georgia. “He knew that Borglum would have the skills and knowledge to get something like this done,” says Amy Bracewell, park historian at Mount Rushmore.

What mountain did Borglum explore?

A year later, in 1925, Borglum scouted the area surrounding Harney Peak for a mountain or piece of granite that was solid enough to hold a figure. “As an artist, he was very interested in light and making sure that the morning sunrise hit the face of the granite,” says Bracewell. A state forester led Borglum on horseback to three mountains he thought would be appropriate—Old Baldy, Sugarloaf and finally Mount Rushmore.

How often does Mount Rushmore erode?

At its going rate, Mount Rushmore erodes only one inch every 10,000 years. Borglum was the work’s sculptor and its first conservator. He and his crew sealed natural cracks in the mountain with a mixture of linseed oil and granite dust. Today, a repair crew on staff at Mount Rushmore patches cracks with a silicone-based caulking material on an annual basis.

How tall is Mount Rushmore?

From all accounts, it seems that Borglum fell for Mount Rushmore at first sight. Its 400-foot high and 500-foot wide east-facing wall would serve as the perfect carving block, according to the sculptor. Hours after he laid eyes on it, Borglum told the Rapid City Journal that there was “no piece of granite comparable to it in the United States.”

How did Borglum make the statue of Confederate leaders?

But at Mount Rushmore, Borglum mounted a flat-panel protractor on each of the presidents’ heads with a large boom and a plumb bomb dangling from the boom. He had a similar device on a model. “His crew took thousands of measurements on the model and then went up to the mountain and translated it times 12 to recreate those measurements on the mountain,” says Bracewell. In red paint, they marked off certain facial features, what needed to be carved and how deep. To remove the remaining three to five inches of granite, the carvers used a honeycomb method. They pounded small holes into the stone using jackhammers and with a hammer and chisel broke off the honeycomb pieces. “They would just kind of pop off because the holes were close together,” says Bracewell. Then, the crew used a bumper tool with a rotating, multi-diamond drill bit head to buff the presidents’ skin smooth. When all was said and done, 800 million pounds of rock had been removed.

How much of Mount Rushmore was carved?

The 70th anniversary of the completion of the South Dakota monument prompts a look back at what it took to create it. Ninety percent of Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite. (Paul A. Souders / Corbis) smithsonianmag.com. October 30, 2011.

Why did Gutzon Borglum choose the four presidents?

Gutzon Borglum selected these four presidents because from his perspective, they represented the most important events in the history of the United States. Would another artist at that time, or perhaps a modern artist choose differently? As you read more about Borglum's choices, think about what you might have done if the decision was up to you.

Why did Borglum choose Roosevelt?

Borglum chose Roosevelt to represent the development of the United States. "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight - that he shall not be a mere passenger.". Theodore Roosevelt. Other places to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt:

Why was Roosevelt called the "trust buster"?

He was known as the "trust buster" for his work to end large corporate monopolies and ensure the rights of the common working man. Borglum chose Roosevelt to represent the development of the United States.

What was Lincoln's most sacred duty?

Lincoln held the nation together during its greatest trial, the Civil War. Lincoln believed his most sacred duty was the preservation of the union. It was his firm conviction that slavery must be abolished. Gutzon Borglum chose Lincoln to represent the preservation of the United States.

Why did Borglum choose Mount Rushmore?

Having decided on the location of the sculpture, Borglum decided to make the monument of four presidents of the United States. He chose the two most famous presidents in American history, ...

Why was Mount Rushmore built?

Doane Robinson of the South Dakota Historical Society wanted a monument to be built in South Dakota in order to help the economy of the state by attracting tourism. In 1923, he proposed that this monument should be built from the granite cliffs in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Senator Peter Norbeck of South Dakota approved the proposal, and federal funding helped the project. Robinson asked architect and sculptor Gutzon Borglum to sculpt and design the monument. Borglum decided to use Mount Rushmore for the sculpture, since it seemed to be the easiest and most stable of the cliffs to work on.

What tools were used to build Mount Rushmore?

Workers used harnesses attached to steel cables while sculpting. Mount Rushmore before construction around 1905. A few hundred workers, most of whom were miners, sculptors, or rock climbers, used dynamite, jackhammers, and chisels to remove material from the mountain. A stairway was constructed to the top of the mountain, where ropes were fixed.

What were the accommodations for tourists while Theodore Roosevelt was building his head?

While Theodore Roosevelt's head was being constructed, accommodations for tourists were being built, including plumbing, lighting, and a visitor center. Not finding suitable rock, the sculptors cut farther back into the mountain, causing concerns about how far they were cutting.

Where was Lincoln relocated?

Lincoln was relocated to the area where Borglum intended to include an 80-by-100-foot inscription in the shape of the Louisiana Purchase. To replace the inscription, Borglum conceived another grand addition to the monument of similar proportions: the Hall of Records.

When was the booknote interview with John Taliaferro?

Booknotes interview with John Taliaferro on Great White Fathers: The Story of the Obsessive Quest to Create Mt. Rushmore, December 15, 2002.

Who is the sculptor of the Memorial?

Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of the memorial.

Where did Borglum live?

The son of Danish immigrants, Borglum was raised from age seven in Nebraska. He studied art in San Francisco and then, from 1890 to 1893, in Paris at the Académie Julian and the École des Beaux-Arts.

Who are the faces of Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore features the faces of (from left) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

What was the first piece of art that Borglum sculpted?

In 1901 Borglum established himself in New York City, where he sculpted a bronze group called The Mares of Diomedes, the first piece of American sculpture bought for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Versatile and prolific, he sculpted many portrait busts of American leaders, as well as of figures such as the Twelve Apostles, which he created for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York. But he soon turned toward what his wife, Elizabeth Janes Putnam, a scholar in cuneiform and other Middle Eastern scripts, described as “the emotional value of volume.” Reviving the ancient Egyptian practice of carving gargantuan statues of political figures in natural formations of rock, he executed from a six-ton block of marble a colossal head of President Abraham Lincoln that was placed in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. This inspired a group of Southern women to commission a similar head of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Borglum was moved to begin instead a titanic sculptural procession of Lee and his staff and soldiers marching across the face of Stone Mountain in Decatur, Georgia. He began cutting away rock in 1916 and was able to unveil the head of Lee in 1924, but disputes with his patrons led Borglum shortly thereafter to abandon the enormous work, which was completed by others.

Who was the sculptor who proposed the four heads in the statue of Mount Rushmore?

However, American sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who was hired to design and execute the project, rejected that site because the rock there was too eroded and unstable and instead chose nearby Mount Rushmore with its solid granite rock face. Borglum also proposed that the four heads in the sculpture….

Where was the head of Abraham Lincoln placed?

Reviving the ancient Egyptian practice of carving gargantuan statues of political figures in natural formations of rock, he executed from a six-ton block of marble a colossal head of President Abraham Lincoln that was placed in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.

Who told me about the four men on Mount Rushmore?

Let's get the explanation of why these four men are on the mountain directly from the horse's mouth, so there will be no confusion. For the record, Lincoln told me this and recounted it in his book, “My Father's Mountain: Mount Rushmore National Memorial and How it was Carved,” this piece of history.

Who said "I want to create a monument so inspiring that people from all over America will be drawn to come and?

To repeat Gutzon Borglum 's words, “I want to create a monument so inspiring that people from all over America will be drawn to come and look and to go home better citizens.”

What did the workers do at Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore is a project of colossal proportion, colossal ambition and colossal achievement. It involved the efforts of nearly 400 men and women. The duties involved varied greatly from the call boy to drillers to the blacksmith to the housekeepers. Some of the workers at Mount Rushmore were interviewed, and were asked, "What is it you do here?" One of the workers responded and said, "I run a jackhammer." Another worker responded to the same question, " I earn $8.00 a day." However, a third worker said, "I am helping to create a memorial." The third worker had an idea of what they were trying to accomplish.

How many people worked on Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore is a project of colossal proportion, colossal ambition and colossal achievement. It involved the efforts of nearly 400 men and women. The duties involved varied greatly from the call boy to drillers to the blacksmith to the housekeepers.

How much did the workers at Mount Rushmore make a day?

From 1927 to 1941 the 400 workers at Mount Rushmore were doing more than operating a jackhammer, they were doing more than earning $8.00 a day, they were building a Memorial that people from across the nation and around the world would come to see for generations. Last updated: September 2, 2017.

What would the powdermen do before dynamite was set off?

Before the dynamite charges could be set off, the workers would have to be cleared from the mountain. Workers in the winch house on top of the mountain would hand crank the winches to raise and lower the drillers.

How many stairs did the workers climb to the top of Mount Rushmore?

The workers had to endure conditions that varied from blazing hot to bitter cold and windy. Each day they climbed 700 stairs to the top of the mountain to punch-in on the time clock. Then 3/8 inch thick steel cables lowered them over the front of the 500 foot face of the mountain in a "bosun chair". Some of the workers admitted being uneasy with heights, but during the Depression, any job was a good job.

How many inches of rock was left to remove to get to the final carving surface?

Dynamite was used until only three to six inches of rock was left to remove to get to the final carving surface. At this point, the drillers and assistant carvers would drill holes into the granite very close together. This was called honeycombing. The closely drilled holes would weaken the granite so it could be removed often by hand.

When did Borglum visit Mount Rushmore?

During a second visit to the Black Hills in August 1925 , Borglum identified Mount Rushmore as the desired site of the sculpture. Local Native Americans and environmentalists voiced their opposition to the project, deeming it a desecration of Sioux heritage as well as the natural landscape.

When did Gutzon Borglum die?

Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, and it was left to his son Lincoln to complete the final details of Mount Rushmore in time for its dedication ceremony on October 31 of that year.

What is the name of the mountain that Rushmore climbed?

When Rushmore asked a local man the name of a nearby mountain, he reportedly replied that it never had a name before, but from now on would be known as Rushmore Peak (later Rushmore Mountain or Mount Rushmore).

Why are the Black Hills important to the Sioux?

The Black Hills (or Paha Sapa in Lakota) are particularly important to them, as the region is central to many Sioux religious traditions.

What are the faces of the Presidents on Mount Rushmore?

Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The 60-foot high faces were shaped from the granite rock face between 1927 and 1941, and represent one of the world’s largest pieces of sculpture, as well as one of America’s most popular tourist attractions. To many Native Americans, however, Mount Rushmore represents a desecration of lands considered sacred by the Lakota Sioux, the original residents of the Black Hills region who were displaced by white settlers and gold miners in the late 19th century.

How many people visit Mount Rushmore every year?

The National Park Service, which maintains Mount Rushmore, records upwards of 2 million visitors every year. Meanwhile, many Sioux activists have called for the monument to be taken down, even as they continue to protest what they view as illegal U.S. possession of their ancestral lands.

How much rock was removed from Mount Rushmore?

Some 400 workers removed around 450,000 tons of rock from Mount Rushmore, which still remains in a heap near the base of the mountain. Though it was arduous and dangerous work, no lives were lost during the completion of the carved heads.

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