Georgia Historical Society Logo
  • News
  • Events
  • Search
  • About
        • Mission
        • Board of Curators
        • Office of the President
          • Past Presidents
        • Staff
        • Jobs/Internships
        • Preferred Vendors
        • History
          • GHS Research Center
          • Jepson House Education Center
        • Annual Reports
        • GHS Awards and Honors
        • News/Media
        • Contact
  • Research
    • Search Our Collection
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Reference and Research Services
    • Image Reproduction Services
    • Research Resources
    • Collection Highlights
  • Teachers + Students
        • Resources for Teachers
          • Search All Education Resources
          • Teaching with Primary Resources
          • Biographical Resources
          • Economic History Resources
          • Eighth-Grade WebQuest
          • Women's History Resources
          • Online Exhibits
          • Field Trips and In-School Programs
          • Professional Development
        • Resources for Students
        • Today in Georgia History
        • Off the Deaton Path
        • Georgia Historical Society Education Newsletter
  • Learn + Explore
        • Programs and Initiatives
        • Community Archives Initiative
        • Georgia Commemorates America at 250
        • Georgia History Festival
        • Georgia Trustees
        • Trustees Gala
        • History and Race Initiative
        • Georgia's Business History
        • Affiliate Chapter Program
        • Online Exhibits
        • Upcoming Events
        • Historical Markers
          • Explore Georgia Historical Markers
          • Applying for a New Historical Marker
          • Maintaining Historical Markers
          • FAQs
          • Report a Missing or Damaged Marker
          • Civil War Historical Marker Initiative
          • Georgia Civil Rights Trail
        • Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program
          • Distinguished Teaching Fellows
          • Distinguished Research Fellows
        • Publications
          • Georgia History Today
          • Georgia Historical Quarterly
          • Bell and Inscoe Awards
  • Support
    • Give
    • Become a Member
    • Endowment
    • Donate Collections/Papers
    • Our Supporters
    • Shop

The Gutzon-Borglum House

November 8, 2024 by

Hidden Histories, Historical Marker Resource

The Gutzon-Borglum House

14. Ground level view of Stone Mountain Carving, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

This Hidden History was created by SCAD student Julia Hardenburger as part of her SCAD art history department coursework, with guidance from art history professor Holly Goldstein, Ph.D., in 2019.

The Gutzon-Borglum House historical marker was dedicated in 1955. View the Gutzon-Borglum House historical marker listing.

Gallery

Illustrations Expand

1. Historical Marker dedicated to sculptor Gutzon Borglum, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

2. View of Gutzon Borglum’s Home in Avondale Estates, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

3. Beals, Jessie Tarbox, Gutzon Borglum standing in his studio, looking at a sculpture in progress. He wears a smock over a dress coat, circa 1907, Courtesy of The Schlesinger History of Women in America Collection.

4. Gutzon Borglum, Auguste Rodin, 1918, Courtesy of The Lotus Magazine, jstor database.

5. Gutzon Borglum, The Mares of Diomedes, 1904, Courtesy of ART on FILE.

6. Gutzon Borglum letter to the Association of American Painters and Sculptors (New York, N.Y.), Gutzon, Borglum, 1913 Feb. 1. Walt Kuhn, Kuhn family papers, and Armory Show records, 1859-1984, bulk 1900-1949. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

7. “Mrs. Plane Leading Movement for Monument to Confederacy Which Will Be World Wonder.” The Constitution Atlanta, GA. Sunday, September 26, 1915. Accessed May 17, 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/image/26889345/?terms=stone%2Bmountain

8. Unknown Artist, Confederate Memorial Being Carved on Stone Mountain 16 Miles of Atlanta, circa 1915, Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society.

9. View of pond underneath carving on Stone Mountain taken from skylift, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

10. Gutzon Borglum, Commemorative Medal, circa 1924, Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society.

11. Unknown Artist, Governor Trinkle of Virginia and Other Notables Having Dinner on the Shoulder of General Lee, circa 1924, Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society.

12. “Militant Memorial Sculptor Uncaught.” The Hutchinson News. February 27, 1925. Accessed May 17, 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/image/8575627/terms=militant%2Bsculptor%2BFebruary%2B27%2Batlanta

13. Detail of Stone Mountain Confederate Monument taken from skylift, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

14. Ground level view of Stone Mountain Carving, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

15. H.N. Burroughs, A New Map of Georgia with its Roads and Distances, 1846, Courtesy of SCAD Museum of Art Archives.

16. “President Coolidge in the headdress he received when made Chief Leading Eagle by the Oglala Sioux.” The Wasatch Wave. August 19, 1927. Accessed May 18, 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/image/544809295/?terms=mount%2Brushmore%2Bdedication%2Boctober

17. John Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore; overview with faces, 1941, Courtesy of ART on FILE.

18. Student Julia Hardenburger on top of Stone Mountain, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

19. Collaborative historical collage created with help from 5th graders at the Susie King Taylor Elementary School, 2019, Courtesy of Holly Goldstein.

20-25. Gutzon Borglum: The American Tradition, 2019, Courtesy of Julia Hardenburger.

Artist's Statement Expand

As a sculptor myself, I was drawn naturally to learn more about Borglum and his artistic endeavors. But what I ended up being completely fascinated with through my research is just how American artists of the 20th century navigated political and social issues in order to create iconic art. In Borglum’s case, this was his time to influence and change the history of art and the branding of what is truly ‘American.’ I seem to find that in the lexicon of art history we put specific landmark artists on a pedestal to highlight how they specifically changed the world of art. However, we don’t often think of them alongside other artists who are less notable and have created next to them. It is of course, impossible, to account for and teach all these persons and dissect their roles individually. I hope to continue research that finds artists who have complicated histories and share their story in a holistic and inspiring way.

Further Reading Expand

Boime, Albert. “Patriarchy Fixed in Stone: Gutzon Borglum's "Mount Rushmore” American Art 5, 67.1/2 (1991): 143-67. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3109035.

Borglum, Gutzon. “Auguste Rodin: A Neglected Genius.” The Lotus Magazine 9, no. 4 (1918): 151-55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20543986.

_____. “Imitation the Curse of American Art.” Brush and Pencil 19, no. 2 (1907): 50-62. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25619680.

Father Finn, quoted in William B. Faherty, S.J. Tom Playfair’s Creator at Tom Playfair’s School, May 1943 (Vol. 12, No. 2), p. 190-195. Digitized with permission of Kansas Historical Society.

Fite, Gilbert C. “Gutzon Borglum Mercurial Master of Colossal Art.” Montana: The Magazine of Western History 25, no. 2 (1975): 2-19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4517975.

“Ku Klux Klan Seen in Georgia.” Natchez News Democrat. November 30, 1915. Accessed May 17, 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21364332/kkk_stone_mountain/.

Martin-Hart, Terry. Avondale Estates. Charleston: Arcadia, 2000.

“Militant Memorial Sculptor Uncaught.” The Hutchinson News. February 27, 1925. Accessed May 17, 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/image/8575627/terms=militant%2Bsculptor%2BFebruary%2B27%2Batlanta.

Rumble, Walker. “Gutzon Borglum: Mount Rushmore and the American Tradition.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly 59, no. 3 (1968): 121-27. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40488512.

“Sculptor Gutzon Borglum.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/moru/learn/historyculture/upload/sculptor%20gutzon%20borglum%20a.pdf. 

georgia history footer logo
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedIn
Charity Navigator

The Georgia Historical Society has been awarded its twelfth consecutive 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in America, for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency, a distinction that places The Society among an elite 1% of non-profit organizations in America.

2023 Annual Report
Privacy Policy
Financial Statements
Accessibility Statement

Give
Contact us
Staff
Board of Curators
About us
Shop

Newsletter

Want to keep up with the latest news from The Georgia Historical Society? Sign up to receive our newsletter!

Jepson House Education Center*

104 W. Gaston Street
Savannah, GA 31401

912-651-2125

Open: Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
*BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Research Center

501 Whitaker Street
Savannah, GA 31401

912-651-2128

The Research Center will be closed to the public for in-person visits from May 1 through September 2, 2025.

Learn more

Atlanta office*

One Baltimore Place NW
Suite G300
Atlanta, GA 30308

404-382-5410

Open: Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
*BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

georgia history footer logo
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedIn

Give
Contact us
Staff
Board of Curators
About us

Newsletter

Want to keep up with the latest news from The Georgia Historical Society? Sign up to receive our newsletter!

Jepson House Education Center*

104 W. Gaston Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912-651-2125

Open: Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
*BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Research Center

501 Whitaker Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912-651-2128

Open: Wednesday–Friday
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
First and third Saturdays
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Atlanta office*

One Baltimore Place NW, Suite G300
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-382-5410

Open: Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
*BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Charity Navigator

The Georgia Historical Society has been awarded its eleventh consecutive 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in America, for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency, a distinction that places The Society among an elite 1% of non-profit organizations in America.

Privacy Policy
Financial Statements

  • About
    • Mission
    • Board of Curators
    • Office of the President
      • Past Presidents
      • Back
    • Staff
    • History
      • GHS Research Center
      • Jepson House Education Center
      • Back
    • Annual Reports
    • GHS Awards and Honors
    • Jobs/Internships
    • Preferred Vendors
    • News/Media
    • Contact
    • Back
  • Research
    • Search Our Collection
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Reference and Research Services
    • Image Reproduction Services
    • Research Resources
    • Collection Highlights
    • Back
  • Teachers + Students
    • Resources for Teachers
      • Search All Education Resources
      • Teaching with Primary Resources
      • Biographical Resources
      • Economic History Resources
      • Eighth-Grade WebQuest
      • Women’s History Resources
      • Online Exhibits
      • Field Trips and In-School Programs
      • Professional Development
      • Back
    • Resources for Students
    • Today in Georgia History
    • Off the Deaton Path
    • Georgia Historical Society Education Newsletter
    • Back
  • Learn + Explore
    • Programs and Initiatives
    • Community Archives Initiative
    • Georgia Commemorates America at 250
    • Historical Markers
      • Explore Georgia Historical Markers
      • Applying for a New Historical Marker
      • Maintaining Historical Markers
      • FAQs
      • Report a Missing or Damaged Marker
      • Civil War Historical Marker Initiative
      • Georgia Civil Rights Trail
      • Back
    • Georgia History Festival
    • Georgia Trustees
    • Trustees Gala
    • Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program
      • Distinguished Teaching Fellows
      • Distinguished Research Fellows
      • Back
    • History and Race Initiative
    • Georgia’s Business History
    • Affiliate Chapter Program
    • Publications
      • Georgia History Today
      • Georgia Historical Quarterly
      • Bell and Inscoe Awards
      • Back
    • Online Exhibits
    • Upcoming Events
    • Back
  • Support
    • Give
    • Become a Member
    • Endowment
    • Donate Collections/Papers
    • Our Supporters
    • Shop
    • Back

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.