Essay on Mount Rushmore - 2601 Words

Mount Rushmore In the Black Hills of South Dakota, there is a monument that is dedicated to four of the most influential figures in American history. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt are names that still to this day trigger thoughts of greatness and awe-inspiring men. All four of these men were presidents of the United States. They each had a signature style or brought a particular ideal the American forefront. George Washington was known as the father of our country. Thomas Jefferson co-authored the Declaration of Independence. Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation. Theodore Roosevelt fought for the little man, was known for his brashness, and†¦show more content†¦And just as Gutzon set out to build a great feat, so will this paper and its interpretation and story-telling of the past. The history behind this monument, the artistry that is and was displayed, and the basic skills of location, environmen t, and factors that influence geography will also be discussed here. This work by Gutzon was not just mere sensationalism or commercialism, as has normally been the angle of reporters, but instead this will take on the historic aspect as it was originally intended to bring out. HISTORY History: The Beginning It started as an idea to draw sightseers, but in 1923 state historian Doane Robinson suggested carving some giant statues in South Dakotas Black Hills. Robinson was not the first American to think that a big country demanded big art. As early as 1849, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton proposed a super-scale Christopher Columbus in the Rocky Mountains (1). In 1886 the 150-foot Statue of Liberty was unveiled. In the 1920s, an unconventional sculptor named Gutzon Borglum was carving a Confederate memorial on Stone Mountain in Georgia. Robinson wanted his sculptures to stand at the gateway to the west, where the Black Hills rise from the plains as a geographical prelude to the Rocky Mountains. Here, the granite outcropping resist erosion to form the Needles, a cluster of tall, needle-like peaks reminiscent of the spires on a Gothic cathedral.Show MoreRelatedThe Creator of Mount Rushmore National Memorial Park Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mount Rushmore National Memorial Park is o ne of the worlds largest sculptural and engineering projects. In 1923, a historian named Doane Robinson came up with the original idea for Mount Rushmore as a way of attracting tourists. Sculptor-designer John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (1867–1941) was contracted in 1927 to carve the solid-granite memorial. Borglum conceived the model figures, brought them to life within the mountains stone, and directed 400 artisans until his death in 1941. Later thatRead MoreMount Rushmore National Memorial: A Shrine of Democracy Essay1341 Words   |  6 Pages Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Shrine of Democracy The carving and construction of Mount Rushmore started on October 4, 1927 when Doane Robinson called in Gutzon Borglum. When South Dakota became a new state, Robinson wanted to create a monument on Stone Mountain to attract tourists. Gutzon Borglum, with the help of his son Lincoln Borglum, immediately knew what and who they wanted to carve; he proposed George Washington and Abraham Lincoln because he wanted those presidents to be rememberedRead MoreMount Rushmore Project1716 Words   |  7 PagesMount Rushmore project Quinn Lotridge The four former presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, are all of different time periods, but each did this country a great service. 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The Dakota Mountains were, and still are, sacred to the Sioux people and most natives see Mount Rushmore as nothing more than the graffiti of white people. They see it as a desecration of the natural beauty of their sacred mountain. Kelly Looking Horse, a Sioux artist I talked with as he sewed drum at Mount Rushmore, said there were probably betterRead MoreRoyal Alexandra Theatre1334 Words   |  6 Pagescheesy decision that broke the intense illusion held up throughout majority of the show. This sense of cheesy comedy returned when Mount Rushmore was created by projecting actors’ faces on to the back screen. It successfully got the audience laughin g but it was almost too distracting from the action happening on the stage itself. In order to climb this Mount Rushmore in a later scene, the actors climbed on tables and chairs placed in front of the projection. The sharpness of these pieces did not