What Makes Mt Rushmore

The Pompeii exhibition at LACMA was an astounding visualization of history. The exhibition provided all sorts of objects; from sculptures, glass figures, painted art, and more. These art pieces specify the kind of life that was taking place in the Bay of Naples during the second century. As we know the cities around the Bay of Naples, which include Pompeii and Herculaneum, became tourist attractions when the cities were excavated after they were buried from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, the comprehension of how the art pieces made their way into the museum is just a little fact of the history behind them. With this exhibition we are able to feel like we are back in time and living in the exhilarating time of

The purpose of many monuments is to honor and protect the legacy of some of America's greatest heroes. Kirk Savage in the book Monument

This was not addressed when Mount Rushmore was constructed, and because of this the monument is tainted from its original purpose of honoring former United States presidents. “It is bad enough that white men drove the Sioux from hills they still hold sacred; did they have to carve faces all over them too?” Source C questions, enlightening the reader on the blemished past of Mount Rushmore, and how the placement of such a monument is wholly disrespectful (Source C). The planners of Mount Rushmore failed to recognize the faux pas of defacing the land of people who were disregarded by those to whom this monument is dedicated. Though a group may deem a historical figure or event as worthy for memorialization, when monuments are constructed paying no heed to placement, the original gesture can often be in

Most events and places of historical value nowadays holds little value in our lives. We confine ourselves to our interstates and highways, following the long line of motel chains stopping for maybe two minutes to take a picture just to say we were there. We take nothing away from these sites that is of real value. We barely scratch at the surface of information and true meaning of what happened at these historical sites. Rinker Buck explains his own experience with removing himself from this cultural norm

As Edgar Degas once said, “ Art is not what you see, but what others make you see”. The St. Louis Art Museum is a place for artist to display their art and give spectators the option to see art from a new perspective. This was the case for me. As we walked up to the beautifully structured building that stood so tall and wide, my expectations were extremely high. At first glance I notice the bronze statue of King Louis IX of France riding high on his horse. From this statue alone, my expectations of the art museum grew stronger. I have never been to an art museum before, so I wasn’t sure of what to expect. My first expectation was to see huge detailed sculptures right as I walked through the door. That expectation didn’t come true.

In Cross-Cultural Claims on Devils Tower National Monument, Dustin, Schneider, McAvoy, and Frakt (2002) explained a conflict between American Indians and rock climbers over the right use of the mountain in Wyoming. Also, they showed how a difference in culture and world perspective can influence the dispute. The climbing discussion emerged almost one century after President Roosevelt declared Devils Tower as the first American national monument in 1906. The reason was the increasing numbers of tourists and climbers in the area due to the release of Steven Spielberg`s movie where the monument was used as a filming site. At that time, the constant

Monuments are important in keeping history in the present. The viewer experiences the emotions and actions in that specific part of time. Some monuments have awkward locations or the people chosen are unsuitable to represent the time. Any group or agency must consider who the person is and where the monument’s location should be before publically displaying it.

Lets take a trip back in time to 1884 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A New York lawyer had just traveled there to inspect mining claims in that region. The man 's name was Charles E. Rushmore. Rushmore was curious by one of the mountains and asked a towns person what the name of the mountain was. The towns person replied saying it had no name. From then on Charles Rushmore started calling it Rushmore Peak. Over time it became known as Mount Rushmore (history.com). During the following years the area of the Black Hills decided they wanted to start attracting tourist the region. I the early 1920s the state historian of South Dakota, Doane Robinson, came up with an idea to attract tourist. He thought of the idea to to carve famous historic heroes of the west into the side of the mountain (history.com). In 1924, Robinson decided to contact the famous American sculptor, Gutzon Borgium, about his idea. Borgium at the time was working on another project for Georgia, but Robinson was able to convince him to abandon his project and come

Mount Rushmore is a carved mountain sculpture in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They started building it on October 4, 1927 and it opened October 31, 1941. The project cost $989,992.32 and 14 years to build it, the actual craving was done by a team of over 400 men. This mountain has carved faces of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln and each presidents face is 60 feet high. The sculpture was led by Gutzon Borglum and it was originally designed for the four presidents to be represented from the waist and up. George Washington was chosen because he was our nation’s founding father. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to represent expansion, because he was the president who signed

In every culture, respect is a quality that communities embrace around the world. Whether it be to remember a person’s achievement or to provide a sense of connection in a community, monuments link together the present and the past with the motive of respect. Memorials are far more relevant than a seemingly trivial granite monument that one could notice in a park (Source B); they embellish meaning, symbol, emotion, and memories into a collective emblem. In memorializing an event and creating a monument, it is essential for the group or agency to not only consider the basic elements such as the historical significance or size, location, and materials but also to acknowledge the emotional linkage the event or monument may induce through attachment

However, Gutzon Borglum rejected that location and chose Mount Rushmore because of its better granite and facing southeast into the sun. Borglum wanted a national focus and settled on four presidents representing the first 130 years and the expansion of the United States. Construction began in October of 1927 and ended in October of 1941 with a crew of 400 workers. The original design was for the carvings to be from head to waist but after the death of Gutzon Borglum in 1941, his son Lincoln said the sculpture was fine just the way it stands. Only some finish work on the structure was accomplished before it was declared complete. Even with all the dangerous carving and blasting not one fatality occurred at Mount Rushmore while it was being created. Annually two million visitors come to Mount Rushmore to view its magnificent tribute as the Shrine of Democracy.

Every artist's dream is to create something that leaves a lasting impression. The Last Conquistador follows the story of a sculptor who does exactly that. John Houser spent nearly a decade painstakingly crafted a 34-foot tall equestrian statue featuring the infamous Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate y Salazar. Following in the footsteps of his father who assisted in the carving of Mount Rushmore, Houser's fantasy of leaving his mark in one of the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world finally became a reality (Valadez). However, what an artist attempts to express and what message is truly received may not be one and the same. While the Hispanic elite of El Paso praised (and funded) the magnificent piece, the Acoma were horrified by the towering symbol of oppression and genocide looming overhead. This film not only provides a window into the conflict and controversy surrounding Houser's work, but also showcases several aspects of Texas political culture and highlights the dismissive attitude toward Native American culture that is still prevalent today.

Teddy Roosevelt deserves to be revered in American History for numerous reasons. One of the reasons I chose Roosevelt is because I visited Mount Rushmore this year and I learned a lot about who he was as man and as a person. He is considered to be one of our most courageous presidents. Thai is one of the several reasons why he was honored on mount Rushmore. As soon as Roosevelt was elected he put aside the murder of William McKinley. His first move as president was to attack Wall Street companies such as J.P. Morgan, Edward Herriman, James J Hill and many other big trust funds. Roosevelt wasn't the first person to do this Adams in Jackson had also done things along these lines. Roosevelt was taking a risk by doing this because wealthy people

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