Mt. Rushmore

Katie Gerard English Comp I Mrs. Hynek Descriptive Research 5 October 2012 turn in Rushmore the History Ever since get along Rushmore was created it has been and iconic symbol because of its beauty, excellent and especi solelyy its history. be on Rushmore is a shrine of democracy, a monument and record to the birth of the States. put on Rushmore is a symbol of the nation through the broadness of its leaders. The magnificent sculpture depicts the faces of quad the Statesn presidents who symbolize this nations history, rugged determination and long- becomeing achievements.According to an episode of Modern Marvels heap Rushmore, Doane Robinson, southeasterly Dakotas state historian, treasured a way to attract tourerry to the Black Hills in the early 1920s. Robinson came up with the idea to sculpt the Needles. The Needles were antediluvian stone structures, do of granite, almost impossible to carve, exclusively Robinson was non off-key away. The needles were not an opt ion so he choose bait Rushmore, which were ripe The Needles. All he knew was that he needed to recruit an artist who love a challenge.He recruited Gutzon Borglum, world renowned stone sculpture, who, according to Howard Shaff, co-writer of his biography half dozen Wars at a Time, was always looking for new worlds to conquer (Modern Marvels). At this clipping Borglum was carving Stone attachain in Atlanta, GA, but the fuddle was stopped, because of his temper, and he needed a new take to to restore his reputation. In 1925 Borglum and his son, Lincoln, explored the Black Hills for a carving site.This is where he stumbled upon Mount Rushmore and en kened the supreme American monument (Modern Marvels). Mount Rushmore was solid granite, like the Needles and riddled with cracks, but this did not turn Borglum away. He stated American history shall border district along this skyline (Modern Marvels). Borglum convinced Robison not to sculpt western family heroes and to instead scu lpt four American presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, who all symbolized the ontogeny of American spirit (Modern Marvels).He choose Washington because he was the flummox of our arena and led the fight for freedom Jefferson because he wrote the Declaration of Independence and had the vision of a growing nation, which inspired the Louisiana Purchase Lincoln, the great emancipator, who served the meat of states in its darkest hour and choose Roosevelt because he was a spirited individualistic who defined 20th century America and was an old friend of Borglum (Modern Marvels). It took Borglum ii years, the funds, and a president to get the project started.In 1927 President Calvin Coolidge took a detonate to South Dakota this was Borglums opportunity to secure official federal course credit and raise the much needed funds. To impress Coolidge, South Dakota Governor William Bulow do a hunting lodge available and named it Summer White House. He also renamed a local stream, Grace Coolidge Creek, and stocked it with prize gentle fish. It all worked, Coolidge loosened up and Borglum gave Coolidge Mount Rushmore Fever (Modern Marvels). 1000 raft showed up to watch Coolidge and the Secret Service declare work on Mount Rushmore this event took place August 10 1927. subject field began that October. In 1929, during the last days of Coolidges presidency, he signed the legislation which granted the Mount Rushmore project $250,000 in federal funds (Modern Marvels). Borglum first started with miniature models of individually president, which he held in the sun to contact how they would reflect. Then he do a 112 model of Mount Rushmore out of plaster. He used the 112 ratio so the quantity could be converted to feet easily. This model was then carried up to the mountain and he and his cd workers used the pointing technique, an ancient Greek method, to transfer the model onto the mountain.Pointing consisted of an angle and twain measurements, one measurement on the top of the studio model and the separate on the actual carving, and then he placed a tumid axis. It was like a giant propeller on each head. They took the measurement of each angle, distance from the axis, and distance from the top the workers who were called pointers, (which was Borglum son in this case), be the spot where drilling or blasting happened (People & Events Carving the Mountain). Over the years, Mount Rushmore began to take shape.Borglum had to constantly change his design due to the shape of the granite. To exclude the flap, workers used the Honey Combing technique, which involved making small holes in the rock where dynamite could fit to remove up to six inches of rock (People & Events Carving the Mountain). Workers also used channel irons, jack hammers with a four star bit, and pneumatic devices to shape and smooth the faces. According to Glen Bradford, a Mount Rushmore worker, you had to be one tough person to hold that jackhammer all day, while dangling in the air (Modern Marvels).The workers had a hard time visualizing what they were making while working so close to it so Borglum made five foot models of each head and hung them below the workers so they could see and feel what they were doing. According to Orville Worman, another Mount Rushmore worker, Lincoln Borglum, Borglums son, didnt get any credit for all the work he did. He hired all the workers and most of the time was the project manager because his father was gone for months at a time (Modern Marvels). When the depression hit, it caused the work to slow up down.Shaff said that Borglum could not understand how money could put a set on his dream, (Modern Marvels) and with the dwindling funds and the depression, Borglums temper was uncontrollable. But Borglum was not giving up he used Roosevelts plan of delivery America back as a springboard to clutches the project going. He used films to show the nation each stage and ke ep the public and politicians informed. Borglum had many other dreams for the monument like a timeline of American events and a Hall of Fame behind Lincolns head. Congress wanted it done and the hall project cancelled when Borglum passed away in 1941.The partial(p) tunnel is still there and it shows the hard work of eachone (Modern Marvels). After Borglums death, there was no chief for the project World War II was declared, and Congress wanted all work to stop on Mount Rushmore. His son closed up shop. After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore was an unfinished dream of one mans conception and beliefs of Americas evolution. It was a piece of art done by the Work of a dreamer, inspired by dreamers, which included the sacrifice of many, and celebrated the promise for America (Modern Marvels).The shrine of democracy is visited by 2. 5 million people every year (Mount Rushmore National Memorial). Some people visit to relive the depot of watching it being carved and some visit on a patri otic adventure of America, and when leaving people cannot forget the beauty, magnificence, and history of Mount Rushmore. It has become one of the most iconic images of America and an international tourist attraction (Mount Rushmore). Bibliography Modern Marvels Mount Rushmore. Dir. Jeff Scheftel. Perf. Harlan Saperstein, William O. Farber, James Popovich, Howard Shaff, and Dan Wenk.History Channel, 1996. TV Mount Rushmore. History. com. A&E Television Networks, n. d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. . People & Events Carving the Mountain. PBS. PBS, 1999. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. . Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Mount Rushmore Info, Directory Information for Vacationers at Mt. Rushmore. SD Web Traveler, Inc. , 12 June 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .