page_title: Construction of Mount Rushmore
section_title: Construction
hierarchical_section_title: Construction of Mount Rushmore / Construction
context_page_description: The construction of Mount Rushmore National Memorial took 14 years, from 1927 to 1941.
context_section_description: A few hundred workers, most of whom were miners, sculptors, or rock climbers, used dynamite, jackhammers, and chisels to remove material from the mountain. A stairway was constructed to the top of the mountain, where ropes were fixed. Workers were supported by harnesses attached to the ropes.
  The irises of the eyes were sculpted as holes. A cube of granite was left in each to represent the reflection highlight thereby making the appearance of the eyes more realistic.
  Construction began on October 4, 1927. In 1935, Borglum appointed Italian immigrant Luigi Del Bianco as chief carver.
caption: Workers used harnesses attached to steel cables while sculpting.
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