Mount Rushmore

As a child Mount Rushmore was one of the most iconic images of America. There was something rather grand, yet undeniably kitsch, about a nation carving the faces of four historic presidents on the side of a mountain. Four hundred men and women toiled for 14 years to sculpt 18 metre profiles of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

The first three men were obvious choices such a memorial. However, I could never understand why Roosevelt was chosen until last weekend. A plague at the memorial reveals that the four Presidents were chosen by the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, to commemorate the founding, growth, preservation and economic development of the United States. Each historic phase is represented by Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt respectively.


Roosevelt presided over America's ascendancy as a global economic power. His presidency resulted in the construction of the Panama Canal and the introduction of trust-busting legislation. He was also the first president to travel overseas during his term in office. I also learnt that President Coolidge, who signed the act authorising Mount Rushmore's construction, insisted that Washington be portrayed along side two Republicans and one Democrat. Both Roosevelt and Coolidge were Republicans.


Access to the memorial is via Highway 244 which gently winds its way through the Black Hills of South Dakota. As the famous hillside finally comes into view the first thing that strikes you is the size of the memorial. It's rather small. Published images of Mount Rushmore typically crop out the surrounding countryside. When seen in situ the granite Presidents aren't nearly as overwhelming you'd expect.

The site itself is centred around a grand viewing terrace that dramatically delivers the mountain's iconic view. Nearby a short track, known as the Presidential Trail, takes you up to the mountain's base, offering views directly underneath the giant sculpture. At this distance, the profiles are genuinely impressive. It's clear that each man's eye really is a deep 4 metre cavern.


The trail then descends into a valley where the Sculptor's Studio is located. It was here that Gutzon Borglum directed the memorial's construction. Inside is a plaster cast used to calculate measurements for carving the mountain's final form. As I stood looking at the mountain, it was difficult not to admire the skill and determination of a nation hell-bent on celebrating the glory of its republic.


Later the same day I drove on down Highway 244, stopping to marvel at George Washington's profile. The scene is surreal. Through the crevice in the hillside, a ghostly white face suddenly appears. I was reminded of The Phantom, a comic book crimefighter from the 1930s. Perhaps not the image Congress had in mind when spending US$989,992 to build the memorial? Only in America.