Mount Rushmore Q&A
Part 2
Q: Why do the presidents' eyes look so real? A.K.
A: The pupil of each eye is a 20-inch shaft of granite. When the sunlight shines on the flat end of the shaft, the eye appears to twinkle. (If you look closely at this photo of Lincoln, you can see how the pupil was carved.)
Q: Why do the Presidents' eyes look like they're staring at you? P.J.
A: Gutzon Borglum was one of the world's great sculptors. His artistic talent and hard work allowed him to achieve this effect.
Q: Which president on Mount Rushmore is not on a United States coin?
A: Theodore Roosevelt.
Q: Which presidents on Mount Rushmore are on United States coins?
A: George Washington (quarter). Thomas Jefferson (nickel). Abraham Lincoln (penny).
Q: How much dynamite did they use? M.P. How much dynamite was used for blasting? K.E.
A: The workers used 6,000 pounds of dynamite to carve George Washington. (Just imagine how much dynamite it took to carve all four faces!)
Q: How many people died while working on Mount Rushmore?
A: No one died while working on the mountain. However, at least one worker died later of silicosis (a lung problem caused by inhaling the rock dust).
A: The pupil of each eye is a 20-inch shaft of granite. When the sunlight shines on the flat end of the shaft, the eye appears to twinkle. (If you look closely at this photo of Lincoln, you can see how the pupil was carved.)
Q: Why do the Presidents' eyes look like they're staring at you? P.J.
A: Gutzon Borglum was one of the world's great sculptors. His artistic talent and hard work allowed him to achieve this effect.
Q: Which president on Mount Rushmore is not on a United States coin?
A: Theodore Roosevelt.
Q: Which presidents on Mount Rushmore are on United States coins?
A: George Washington (quarter). Thomas Jefferson (nickel). Abraham Lincoln (penny).
Q: How much dynamite did they use? M.P. How much dynamite was used for blasting? K.E.
A: The workers used 6,000 pounds of dynamite to carve George Washington. (Just imagine how much dynamite it took to carve all four faces!)
Q: How many people died while working on Mount Rushmore?
A: No one died while working on the mountain. However, at least one worker died later of silicosis (a lung problem caused by inhaling the rock dust).
Q: Are the noses hollow?
A: No. The nostrils are only slight indentations in the granite. (For more information about Mount Rushmore noses, visit the Nose page.)
A: No. The nostrils are only slight indentations in the granite. (For more information about Mount Rushmore noses, visit the Nose page.)
Q: Why are their noses so big? L.H
A: Gutzon Borglum had to make the noses fit the huge size of the faces. Each face is 60 feet tall (about the size of a three-story building). Each nose is about 20 feet long.
Q: Are there wild animals near Mount Rushmore? H.M.
A: Many wild animals live near Mount Rushmore, including mountain goats. Just south of Mount Rushmore (in Custer State Park) you can see bison, deer, elk, prairie dogs, and burros. Mountain lions are also found in the Black Hills, but they are rarely seen.
*** If you like animals, take a look at my book Four Famous Faces. It's all about Black Hills and Badlands wildlife.
Q: Why did they want to create the faces on Mount Rushmore? Were they just being creative? V.B.
A: Gutzon Borglum wanted to create the faces because they would be symbol for the United States of America. Together, the presidents would represent the history of the United States. He chose Mount Rushmore as the location because the cliff was high above the land. Also, it faced the southeast. This would allow the faces to be in the sunlight.
Even though he thought it was a great place to create art (i.e. be creative), not everyone agreed with him. Many of the Lakota people believed that the Black Hills were sacred. Many other people believed the carving would ruin the natural beauty of the Black Hills.
For more information about Mount Rushmore, please visit the other Q&A pages. (Hover your cursor over the Mount Rushmore link on the side of the page.)
A: Gutzon Borglum had to make the noses fit the huge size of the faces. Each face is 60 feet tall (about the size of a three-story building). Each nose is about 20 feet long.
Q: Are there wild animals near Mount Rushmore? H.M.
A: Many wild animals live near Mount Rushmore, including mountain goats. Just south of Mount Rushmore (in Custer State Park) you can see bison, deer, elk, prairie dogs, and burros. Mountain lions are also found in the Black Hills, but they are rarely seen.
*** If you like animals, take a look at my book Four Famous Faces. It's all about Black Hills and Badlands wildlife.
Q: Why did they want to create the faces on Mount Rushmore? Were they just being creative? V.B.
A: Gutzon Borglum wanted to create the faces because they would be symbol for the United States of America. Together, the presidents would represent the history of the United States. He chose Mount Rushmore as the location because the cliff was high above the land. Also, it faced the southeast. This would allow the faces to be in the sunlight.
Even though he thought it was a great place to create art (i.e. be creative), not everyone agreed with him. Many of the Lakota people believed that the Black Hills were sacred. Many other people believed the carving would ruin the natural beauty of the Black Hills.
For more information about Mount Rushmore, please visit the other Q&A pages. (Hover your cursor over the Mount Rushmore link on the side of the page.)