Mount Rushmore – the Initial Plan
In the original plan, it was decided that the carvings should be made in granite pillars, but Gutzon had his apprehensions. He felt that the eroded needles would be too thin to support the sculpting.
Gutzon Borglum MOUNT RUSHMORE, SD – CIRCA 1940: A painting of sculptor Gutzon Borglum working on a model of his creation at Mount Rushmore circa 1940 in South Dakota. (Painting by Ed Vebell/Getty Images)
He is also credited for the selection of the location – Mount Rushmore. His reason was the direction. Being in the southeasterly direction, the place had maximum exposure to the sun. In Borglum’s words, “America will march along that skyline.”