Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, planned to create a Hall of Records behind Abraham Lincoln’s sculpture to store significant American historical documents. The vault was never completed, but in 1998, officials placed important documents and a biography of Borglum behind a granite slab. Borglum was born in Idaho in 1867.
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who designed the iconic Mount Rushmore presidential sculptures, had also planned to create a Hall of Records behind the face of Abraham Lincoln’s sculpture. A chamber has been carved out of the rock, measuring 70 feet (21 m) in length. It was intended to contain a vault to store significant documents of American history. However, Borglum died in 1941 and never saw his vision fulfilled. According to the National Park Service, the vault was expected to contain busts of famous Americans and list important contributions to science, art and industry.
The Brain Behind Mount Rushmore:
Borglum envisioned an 800-foot (244 m) stairway leading up to a great hall, measuring 80 feet by 100 feet (24 m by 30 m). Above the entrance hung a bronze eagle, with a wingspan of 38 feet (11.6 m).
In 1998, officials revived the sculptor’s dream, placing a copy of the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, a biography of Borglum, and descriptions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt behind a 1,200 kg granite slab in the unfinished Hall of Records.
Borglum was the son of Danish-American immigrant parents. He was born in 1867 in what was then known as the Idaho Territory. .
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