Plaster model bust of Abraham Lincoln’s head for Mount Rushmore done by Borglum, measuring 3 x 6.5 x 3, incised on the reverse in full, “Gutzon Borglum.” The bust is painted in a deep ochre and is a finely cast impeccable likeness of the president. It displays significant chipping to the paint and surface throughout. Originates directly from the estate of Camille Yuill, who was the city editor of the Deadwood Pioneer-Times, and had met and befriended Borglum when he first visited the Black Hills to begin the Mount Rushmore project. He presented this to Yuill in 1938, and the consignor notes that according to Yuill’s diary, there was already noticeable chipping and paint loss, specifically to the nose. Includes a small handwritten note, in full: “This model of Lincoln, a miniature of the one on Mt Rushmore, was presented to me by Gutzon Borglum.” The bust is accompanied by a small collection of related items from Yuill’s estate, including: two small plaster busts showing Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln as they appear on Mount Rushmore; a brief 1949 TLS from Korczak Ziolkowski, sculptor of the controversial Crazy Horse Memorial, which was begun at the request of Lakota Sioux leader Henry Standing Bear in response to Mount Rushmore; a signed photo of violinist Paul Stassevitch, inscribed to Ziolkowski’s first wife, Dorothy Comstock; a box of Christmas cards sold to raise funds for Mt. Rushmore, some of which depict the proposed memorial; and two TLSs from Senator George McGovern.
In preparing for his Rushmore project, Borglum created plaster models of the presidents based on his studies of their life masks, paintings, photographs, and descriptions. His next step was to make five-foot tall 1:12 scale models of his final vision, which were then transposed onto the mountain resulting in 60-foot tall faces. The smaller plaster models (like the Jefferson and Lincoln included in this lot) were always available on-site for the drillers and carvers to reference while working on the mountain, with some being known to carry them in their pockets. Plagued by a lack of funding—as evidenced by the fundraising Christmas cards—Borglum signed a contract in 1934 agreeing to make similar signed plaster casts of the heads for use in the production of souvenirs. Whether a craftsman's model or Rushmore souvenir, this is an exceptionally scarce relic from one of America's most iconic monuments. RR Auction COA.
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