Mount Rushmore - Black Hills, USA

Facelift for American presidents

In collaboration with the National Park Service, Kärcher cleaned the presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, USA. The restoration cleaning work was carried out as part of a cultural sponsorship programme. Lichen, algae, moss and other organic dirt, which would have damaged the underlying stone in the longer term as a result of biocorrosion, was removed.

This first cleaning project on Mount Rushmore began on Independence Day, 4 July 2005, and was completed in early August 2005.

The monumental heads of the American presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were created from 1927 to 1941 by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum. They measure around 18 m (60 ft) from crown to chin and are the USA's most famous monument worldwide, alongside the Statue of Liberty in New York. The sculptures are located near Rapid City in South Dakota and, together with the adjoining museum and other facilities, are managed by the National Park Service.