Bust of Abraham Lincoln (Borglum) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bust of Abraham Lincoln |
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| Artist | Gutzon Borglum |
| Year | 1908 |
| Subject | Abraham Lincoln |
| Location | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Imagine a giant sculpture of a head and shoulders! That's what a bust is. This amazing bust of Abraham Lincoln was created by a famous artist named Gutzon Borglum. He finished it in 1908.
The very first sculpture, made from marble, is in the United States Capitol crypt in Washington, D.C.. But you can find copies of this bust in other places too. Many of these copies are made of bronze. One well-known bronze copy is at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois.
Abraham Lincoln's Famous Bust
The Original Marble Sculpture
Gutzon Borglum carved the first bust directly from a large piece of Alabama marble. He didn't use a clay model first, which is quite unusual! To make it look just like Lincoln, Borglum studied many photographs. He also used a special "life mask" of Lincoln's face. This mask was made in 1860 by another artist, Leonard Volk.
Lincoln's own son, Robert Todd Lincoln, saw the sculpture in 1908. He loved it! He said it was "the most extraordinarily good portrait of my father I have ever seen." That's a huge compliment from someone who knew Lincoln best!
This marble bust is about 40 in (100 cm) tall. It weighs around 375 lb (170 kg). You can see Borglum's signature and the year "1908" carved into it. Lincoln's face, without his famous beard, seems to come right out of the rough stone. This style is similar to how famous artists like Michelangelo and Auguste Rodin created their sculptures. Borglum also used this style for his huge sculptures at Mount Rushmore, which includes a bearded Lincoln. He also made a statue called Seated Lincoln in 1911.
A rich financier named Eugene Meyer, Jr. gave the sculpture to the U.S. Congress. It was placed on a marble stand, also designed by Borglum, in 1911. For many years, the bust was displayed in the grand United States Capitol rotunda. This rotunda still has a standing statue of Lincoln made by Vinnie Ream in 1871. In 1979, Borglum's bust was moved to the crypt below the rotunda.
This bust is part of the amazing art collection at the United States Capitol. However, it's not part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. That collection features statues of important people from each state. Borglum does have two other sculptures in that collection: a statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens and one of Zebulon Baird Vance.
Bronze Copies Around the U.S.
Borglum originally wanted the marble bust to be the only one of its kind. But later, a mold was made from it. This mold was then used to create several copies made of bronze.
One of these bronze copies stands proudly in front of the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois. Other copies can be found in different places across the country. These include the Chicago History Museum, the College of the City of New York, the University of California, Berkeley, and even the White House.
The bust in the White House was given by Eugene Meyer in 1954. It's usually displayed on a stone pillar in the East Garden Room. This room connects the East Wing of the White House to the main Executive Residence.
You might notice something interesting about the bronze busts at the Lincoln Tomb and at Shepherd Hall (CUNY). Their noses are often shiny! This is because many people touch them for good luck. In 2015, a bronze copy of Borglum's bust, about 38 in (97 cm) tall, was sold for $30,000.
