Mount Rushmore

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Mountains of the Dakotas features four colossal portraits of U.S. presidents carved directly into a sheer wall – the most American work of art of all American wonders.

Mount Rushmore is a fairly recognizable symbol of the United States. This landmark has appeared in an insane amount of movies, literary works, cartoons, anime, and games. You’ve probably seen it in at least one of them. Carved into the mountain are huge bas-reliefs of 4 US presidents. Each of the presidents made a huge contribution to the development of the country, so according to the idea of the developers of the project deserves to be immortalized in the granite rock.

.

Video: Mount Rushmore

History of Mount Rushmore

Apparently, this mountain was “born” to be a monument to great ancestors. Back in the days when a tribe of Indians known as the Lakota lived on these lands, this mountain already bore the name “Six Forefathers.” Now, of course, they are not six, but still, Rushmore represents a tribute to the ancestors. Located in South Dakota near the town of Keystone.

.

It received its modern name when the monument began construction. The creation of the bas-reliefs began in 1927, and the mountain was renamed in 1930. And they did it again because of the creation of sculptures in the mountain. For the creation of four bas-reliefs of presidents, businessman and philanthropist Charles Rushmore allocated a fabulous for those times the sum of 5 thousand dollars. It was the largest private investment of that time. In addition, he organized and paid for expeditions to this region of the United States and was a very respected man in South Dakota. Therefore, in order to somehow thank the sponsor, the mountain was decided to be renamed and named in honor of the philanthropist.

.

Work on the project was entrusted to the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, but the idea of erecting a monument in the rock came to John Robinson, president of the historical society in the state of South Dakota. However, the appearance of the monument according to his idea was to be quite different. Robinson saw Indians and cowboys depicted on the monument, but Borglum managed to change his mind.

.

The sculptor himself was already 60 years old when construction began, but he took up the task with enthusiasm. Construction continued until 1941. The work was very difficult because it was carried out at an impressive height and with the use of sophisticated tools. Just to get to the height of the mountain, it was necessary to overcome 506 steps.

.

At the same time it was constantly necessary to work with explosives. In order to break off large pieces of rock, dynamite was used. It was estimated that 360,000 tons of rock had to be removed from the construction site. After the rough work with dynamite was finished, the workers used pneumatic jackhammers, cutting out the contours of the heads. Other tools were also used for more precise work.

In the end, after 14 years and with the help of 400 workers who were constantly toiling on Mount Rushmore, it was possible to create 4 eighteen-meter tall heads of presidents who look down on their nation from a bird’s eye view. Unfortunately, the sculptor himself never saw the end of the major project of his life. He died shortly before the end, so the project was finished by his son.

.

The symbolic significance of the monument to the presidents

Gutzon Borglum himself created not just a monument to the 4th Presidents of the United States, he wanted to convey something more. He dreamed of reminding people of the high ideals that were preached by their forefathers. He believed that each of the 4 presidents had given America something special.

For example, George Washington was placed in bas-relief on Mount Rushmore for being able to lead Americans to democracy. Thomas Jefferson was immortalized in granite because of his creation of the Declaration of Independence. Abraham Lincoln was honored for abolishing slavery in the U.S., while Theodore Roosevelt was elected because of the construction of the Panama Canal and because he promoted government and business.

.

This is how the huge heads of the 4 presidents carved in the granite of Mount Rushmore came to be. The national memorial called Mount Rushmore covers an area of 517 hectares and welcomes 2 million tourists every year who want to see one of the most famous symbols of the United States.

.

Facts

  • Location:Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Mountains in South Dakota. It is named for New York attorney Charles Rushmore, the first owner of the rights to mine the area’s ore deposits.
    • Obstacles: The monument has long been controversial. The local Lakota Indian tribe considers Mount Rushmore, which they call “Six Grandfathers,” part of their ancestral territory. They perceived the proposed sculptures as an abuse of a sacred site..
  • And nearby, they decided to create a similar monument to their own hero, a chief named Crazy Horse.
  • Movie Scenes: Director Alfred Hitchcock filmed an episode of North by Northwest (1,959) here, in which Cary Grant, playing the role of the main character, gets off Lincoln’s nose.
.