But by then, Adickes had decided to locate his first collection of giant presidential busts near Deadwood, South Dakota, and close to Mount Rushmore -- his inspiration. That park opened last year. Now he plans to locate a third presidential park near Tampa in Florida but the timetable is uncertain. He has made three presidential heads from each rubber mold -- working in a warehouse in Houston.
"Several years ago, I visited his studio in downtown Houston and was overwhelmed when I saw the busts he was doing of all 42 American presidents," former President Bush wrote in a 2000 letter endorsing the concept. "I agreed with him that the project was not only artistically important, but one of historical significance for our
country."
The elder Bush was the only president to pose for Adickes. He worked from photographs and paintings for the other sculptures. In his research, he noticed how presidential fashion evolved. Presidential ties, for instance, were ruffled lace for the first group of presidents -- George Washington up to Andrew Jackson, who is depicted in a military uniform with braid on his shoulders. Then bow-ties -- floppy at first -- were favored by presidents all the way up to Benjamin Harrison, who knotted the long ties worn by every president since. However, the rep stripe ties popular with presidents from Harry Truman on stopped with Bill Clinton.
The early presidents wore ribbons holding powdered wigs but were clean-shaven. Lincoln began the trend of presidential beards, which lasted until William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt decided moustaches were more presidential. Woodrow Wilson was clean-shaven and no president since has sported facial hair.
In doing his research, Adickes said, he found that Jimmy Carter parted his hair on the left in some photographs and on the right in others. Jerry Ford was the hardest to do, said the sculptor, saying that his "square face" and regular features were difficult to distinguish. There are sites for eight more presidents. Should Bush be defeated in November, Adickes said, he will have his successor's bust done within six months.
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