There are photos that stand out, make you dream or lead you to ask questions. Otherwise, a little of all of this at a time. This is why we invite you to come back every day (or almost) to one of them that we have either already used as an illustration or found randomly during our research…
Today, we offer you a photo that makes sense in view of the news of this Tuesday, November 5, 2024, election day in the United States. That of one of the best-known sites in this country, the famous Mount Rushmore which houses the sculpted faces of four great American presidents of the past.
An image repeated many times in popular culture
In the heart of the Black Hills region, dear to the Lakota Indians, here is Mount Rushmore. It is located about forty kilometers from Rapid City, one of the rare cities in South Dakota which is one of the states located in the north of the American territory. This is this immense monumental sculpture created between 1927 and 1941 on the side of a cliff.
But let's start at the beginning. You will first arrive at the site by taking an alley lined with columns. These are engraved with the name of each of the 50 states that make up the country and serve as an “introduction” to the spectacle that will then be offered to you. Because, visually, the faces of these presidents dominate and impress you. Which is normal in itself given that each one measures 18 meters in height and looks down on you, at an altitude of 1740 meters.
But who are these four?
First there is George Washington who was the first president of the United States, from 1789 to 1799. He is considered one of the “Fathers of the Nation”.
Then there is Thomas Jefferson, third president from 1801 to 1809, who originally authored the Declaration of Independence. Theodore Roosevelt (president from 1901 to 1909) who won the Nobel Peace Prize. And finally Abraham Lincoln (president from 1861 to 1865) who was at the origin of the abolition of slavery.
They are recognized as the four most notable presidents in American history.
This spectacular work was carved from granite by Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum. It should be noted that the first idea of the work had nothing political, since it was simply a question of launching tourist activity in the region by creating an attraction that could attract a large audience. .
It was in 1927 that work began with the plan to create busts of each of the presidents. Except that due to lack of money, the busts were transformed into heads for a project which ultimately lasted fourteen years at a cost of almost 1 million dollars at the time.
In all, four hundred workers participated in this monumental work. Even if the risks were great because the sculptures were made with explosives (!), no human loss was to be deplored. Nowadays, “worker mountaineers” climb Mount Rushmore every year to restore the beauty of these men frozen forever in granite.
Finally, we don't necessarily know it, but in a canyon near the site there is a vault dug into the rock which contains 16 enameled porcelain panels. These panels house the texts of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, American history plus biographies of the four presidents and Gutzon Borglum.
> Infos : www.nps.gov
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