Four great presidents looking at you: the Mount Rushmore

For 75 years, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln have been looking at people from the mountain. Thousands of tons of stone were blown out of the rock. Millions of people still visit the “Shrine of Democracy” every year, and it is also amazingly popular thanks to many famous American movies. The news about them and curious things happening on the world read on the site Avalanches.

Four great presidents looking at you

Mount Rushmore is a work of art and a marvel of engineering at the same time. The giant busts of Presidents represent not only the first 150 years of US history but also remind us that creating a monument of this magnitude required engineering, technical and construction know-how. The author of the monument used various mechanical stuff and blasting techniques to achieve his goal. Each face reaches a height of over 18 meters, while all of them are carved with the smallest details. The Mount has become a truly American symbol. 

The Mount history

Historian Doan Robinson is often referred to as “the father of Mount Rushmore.” In 1923, for the sake of attracting tourists to South Dakota, he first came up with a proposal to create monumental sculptures of the Indian leader Red Cloud, American explorers Lewis and Clark, or other famous personalities of the conquest of the Wild West. Robinson contacted sculptor Hudson Borglum, who agreed to participate in the project, subject to the creation of something more. He wanted to create a memorial commemorating American history. The best option for this is to create sculptures of the country’s great political figures. Soon, the mount was transformed using dynamite; the cost of the work was almost a million — a huge amount of money at that time. However, each president managed to “show his face” at a different time:

• The statue of George Washington was shown on July 4, 1934.
• Roosevelt unveiled the statue of Thomas Jefferson in 1936.
• On September 17, 1937, a statue of Abraham Lincoln was opened.
• The figure of Theodore Roosevelt was opened in 1939. The same year, the night lighting of the memorial was installed.

Gaining popularity: the mountain in movies

The mountain got great popularity when it appeared in the movies “Mars Attacks!”(1996), the Hitchcock classic “The Invisible Third”, “Superman Returns”, “National Treasure”. The list of films for which the 18-meter-high portraits were the backdrop could easily be continued. Thanks to the films, the work of art has turned into a true memorial. Even non-Americans report after a visit of an impressive monument they feel like patriots of the country.

However, the monument was intended solely to boost tourism in the region. The plan was fully realized: even today, exactly 75 years after the official end of construction, the astonishing and gorgeous artwork attracts new guys that feel like taking a pic of this true stone wonder. Many Americans want to see the “Shrine of Democracy” at least once in their lifetime. In case, you are eager to learn more interesting facts and the world news, find it on the site Avalanches