Mount Rushmore Costume

Description

It’s hard to imagine an America without Mount Rushmore, but the iconic landmark has only been around since 1941. In 1923, A South Dakota historian named Doane Robinson envisioned the idea of creating a massive sculpture that would bring some much needed tourism to the state. Robinson initially envisioned including wild west icons to the sculpture, but the project eventually was narrowed down to our most influential former Presidents: George Washington, our nation’s first President; Thomas Jefferson, who represented the expansion of our country; Theodore Roosevelt, a representative of conservation and growth; and Abraham Lincoln, a President who fought to preserve our country, even to the point of civil war.

The Danish-American sculptor Gutzon Borglum took the job, and was intent on creating this masterpiece on a mountainside. Soon, Borglum had a team of over 400 former gold miners assembled to start the carving. None of the men were real artists, but they were very skilled at using dynamite and jackhammers. The work began in 1927 and wouldn’t be finished until 1941. Despite the fact that each president’s face was over 60 feet high, and that the workers used very basic platforms and harnessing while they worked, there were no deaths during construction. Mount Rushmore now receives over 3 million tourists every year.

The incredible story of Mount Rushmore doesn’t end there. You can carry on its legacy at your next Halloween or costume party by adding this Mount Rushmore costume to your outfit. There are PVC tubes threaded around the border of the Rushmore picture to keep it sturdy, and straps on the back to keep it securely around your chest. Just be sure to have a few interesting Mount Rushmore facts on hand when you’re wearing the costume…like how its construction ended on Halloween in 1941! Or that the workers formed their own amateur baseball team that played games after they were done working for the day. How about that it would take over 7 million years of erosion before the presidents would lose definition in their heads? Ok, we’ll stop. We just really love Mount Rushmore…