Sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved more than individuals
into stone.
Mount Rushmore was intended to commemorate
American culture and ideals-
a monument to democracy itself.
Thus he chose four presidents he believed
best embodied the spirit of America and represented
the first 150 years of American history.
These presidents were:
George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson,
Theodore Roosevelt,
and Abraham Lincoln.
Washington was a natural and uncontested choice
and carving began in late 1927.
As the father of the new country, he laid
the foundation of American democracy and is
the most prominently featured on the mountain.
On sculpting Washington, Borglum said, “I
deliberately carved the head in an upright
position without the slightest tilting forward
or backward, or to either side, to fix upon
the mind of the observer the upright character
of the man.
But I found the figure was too still.
I merely pivoted the body by cutting the left
shoulder further back into the mountain.
It had the same effect as if the head itself
had been turned.
It has put more life into the figure.”
Borglum’s monument, a shrine of democracy,
has and will continue to serve as a lasting
testament to the founding, growth, preservation
and development of the American nation.
Jefferson is well known as the primary author
of the Declaration of Independence, a document
critical to American democracy and an inspiration
for other democracies around the world.
This in itself was a great accomplishment.
However, Borglum chose him not just because of
this, but because of the Louisiana Purchase.
Jefferson dreamt of Westward expansion and
his land deal more than doubled the size of
our country.
Borglum’s vision originally placed Thomas
Jefferson on Washington’s right.
However, because of poor quality stone, the
sculpture had to be revised.
After months of hard work and many dollars
later, the first attempt was blasted away
in 1934 before carving began again.
Once again, Borglum ran into problems partway
through carving in the new position.
A major crack was revealed running through
Jefferson’s nose and the head had to be reset
five degrees to the north, set back four feet,
and tilted roughly eighteen inches to its
present day position.
With all of the setbacks, it took six years
from the beginning of carving in 1930 to its
dedication in 1936, the longest time period
between initial carving and dedication for
any of the four presidents.
At what age should Jefferson’s figure be
immortalized?
Young or old?
Borglum eventually decided to portray a younger
Jefferson at the age of 33 when he had drafted
the Declaration of Independence.
Despite the many challenges Borglum faced
while carving, Jefferson’s figure now looks
eternally heavenward as part of one of America’s
enduring icons.
Perhaps the most contested presidential figure
to appear on Mount Rushmore is Theodore Roosevelt.
Many believed him too recent a president to
be commemorated in such a permanent manner.
Early models didn’t include Roosevelt, only
Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln.
However, the vision was always evolving and
measurements of the mountain showed that there
would be room for one more figure.
Borglum was a personal friend of Roosevelt
and saw the opening of the Panama Canal as
an important development that allowed easier
travel and trade access to the west.
Senator Peter Norbeck, an instrumental individual
in the success of Mount Rushmore, was also
enthusiastic about the inclusion of Roosevelt.
But it may have been President Calvin Coolidge’s
strong belief that Roosevelt should be recognized
for being the first president to protect the
rights of the working man that ultimately
contributed to Borglum's final decision.
Roosevelt’s iconic mustache measures approximately
20ft across.
And Borglum, ever attentive to detail, purposely
left it with a rough texture, characteristic
of the president’s rugged American spirit
and individuality.
On carving Roosevelt, Borglum is quoted as
saying: “Tell them I'm making Roosevelt's
glasses out of the most precious thing on
Earth: Imagination”
And so today, Roosevelt's image stands carved
high into the mountain, part of the ultimate
monument to American ideals.
Lincoln oversaw one of the most pivotal periods
of the United States, the Civil War.
His strength and determination held the union
together during one of America’s most trying times.
Borglum wrote on the selection of Lincoln,
“Lincoln, because it was Lincoln and no
other than Lincoln, whose mind, heart, and
finally life, determined that we should continue
as a common family of states and in union forever.”
Borglum had long admired and respected Lincoln
and the sculpture at Mount Rushmore was not
Borglum’s first of the president.
He also sculpted the marble bust of Lincoln
at the US Capitol and the seated Lincoln in
Newark, New Jersey.
One of the dilemmas Borglum faced was whether
or not to carve Lincoln clean shaven or with a beard.
Eventually, he decided to portray Lincoln
with the beard he had while president.
Borglum was a master sculptor.
An incredible attention to detail contributed
to the life-like portrayals of each president.
Borglum paid special attention to the eyes
of each sculpture.
Each eye spans approximately 11 feet.
A shaft of protruding granite approximately
20 inches long serves as the pupil.
The smooth front surface of the shaft reflects
light and the concave depressions create shadows
that add depth.
In “Mount Rushmore: The story behind the
scenery” Borglum’s son states “Many
observers have remarked that the compassionate
face of Lincoln is the most skillfully carved
of the four faces on Mount Rushmore.
If this is true, it is no doubt because of
my father’s great reverence and love for
Lincoln, his favorite subject.”
