Borgum's statue of Dr Edward L. Trudeau, originally on the grounds of Trudeau Sanatorium, now at the Trudeau Institute (2009) The original site of the Trudeau Statue on the grounds of Trudeau Sanatorium. Trudeau Cottage stands at right. c. 1920s. Courtesy of Lynn Newman. Born: March 25, 1867 1

Died: March 6, 1941

Married: Mary Montgomery Williams Borglum

Children: Lincoln Borglum, Mary Ellis (Mel) Borglum Vhay

Gutzon Borglum was an American sculptor who is best known for his monumental heads of four U. S. presidents at Mount Rushmore.

Courtesy of Noreen OslanderTwo of his works were made for Saranac Lake sites: a bronze plaque to memorialize Robert Louis Stevenson on the cottage where he stayed, and — as a memorial to Dr. E. L. Trudeau — a heroic size bronze statue of Trudeau on a marble base, in the pose of a resting patient. The story goes that Borglum came to Saranac Lake preparing to design the Stevenson plaque; while here he visited the invalid Dr. Trudeau, who was in the last months of his life. The Trudeau statue was said by those who knew him in life to be a very good likeness of the doctor.

Both works are still in public view here, though the Trudeau statue was moved from its original site on the former Trudeau Sanatorium grounds to the new Trudeau Institute.

Statue of E. L. Trudeau by Gutzon Borglum

Statue of E. L. Trudeau by Gutzon Borglum 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also: Gutzon Borglum

Comments

Footnotes

1. An undated booklet, probably from the 1940s or '50s, written by Mary Montgomery Borglum and published by the Mount Rushmore Memorial Society, gives his birthdate as 1871.