Gutzon Borglum

The story behind the creation of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The story of Mount Rushmore's creation is as bizarre and wonderful as the monument itself. It is the tale of a hyperactive, temperamental artist whose talent and determination propelled the project, even as his ego and obsession threatened to tear it apart. It is the story of hucksterism and hyperbole, of a massive public works project in the midst of an economic depression. And it is the story of dozens of ordinary Americans who suddenly found themselves suspended high on a cliff face with drills and hammers as a Danish sculptor they considered insane directed them in the creation what some would call a monstrosity, and others a masterpiece.

This Traveltalk entry looks at some natural wonders of the western United States, including the Grand Canyon and the Devil's Tower. The last stop on the tour, an "unnatural wonder," is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where sculptor Gutzon Borglum is hard at work. At the time of filming, only the head of George Washington was close to completion. Thomas Jefferson's face was almost finished; only the upper half of Abraham Lincoln's face is visible; and Theodore Roosevelt's head was not yet started.

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.