Blue sky white clouds view green trees Mount Rushmore, with 4 face sculptures American Presidents, Black Hills, S. Dakota, USA
The Mount Rushmore National Monument, near Keystone, South Dakota, was sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln between 1927 and 1939. The sculpture was conceived in 1923 to promote tourism in South Dakota. In 1924 Borglum travelled to the Black Hills to select a site for a massive granite sculpture. Borglum decided the 1745m (5725ft) high Mount Rushmore was ideal, partly because the granite cliffs of Mount Rushmore face south-east for maximum sun exposure. Borglum decided the sculpture should have a national focus, rather than featuring Western heroes, such as Red Cloud and William Cody, proposed by South Dakota historian Doane Robinson. Borglum decided on Presidents who had had a role in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory. President Coolidge in 1925 insisted that two Republicans and one Democrat should accompany the sculpture of George Washington. Construction began on 18m (60ft) high sculptures of four US Presidents in 1927. Washington's face was completed and dedicated on July 4 1934. Jefferson followed in 1936, Lincoln September 17 1937 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1939. The initial concept was for each president to be depicted from head to waist, bu this was prevented by lack of funding. All construction ended in October 1941. Jefferson's sculpture was originally to the right of Washington, but the rock there was found to be too weak, so Jefferson's face was dynamited and started again to Washington's left. The sculpture cost $989, and was accomplished by local men using jack-hammers and trained on site by Borglum. The US National Park Service took control of the memorial in 1933. The monument attracts nearly three million people annually
Size: 4592px × 3056px
Location: Mount Rushmore National Monument, near Keystone, South Dakota, USA
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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