Luigi Del Bianco

Luigi Del Bianco (May 8, 1892 – January 20, 1969) was an Italian-American sculptor and the chief carver of Mount Rushmore.

Early life and education Del Bianco was born on a ship near Le Havre, France, on May 8, 1892, to Vincenzo and Osvalda Del Bianco, who were returning from the United States to Italy.

When World War I broke out, Del Bianco returned to Italy and fought for his home country, eventually returning to Vermont in 1920. Del Bianco's brother-in-law introduced him to Mount Rushmore designer Gutzon Borglum, and Del Bianco began working at Borglum's studio.

In 1933, Borglum hired Del Bianco as chief stone carver on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Paid $1.50 an hour, Del Bianco was charged with carving the detail in the faces. He carved Abraham Lincoln's eyes, and patched a dangerous crack in Thomas Jefferson's lip.

On September 16, 2017, the National Park Service unveiled a memorial plaque at Mount Rushmore. The plaque acknowledged Luigi Del Bianco's crucial role as the only chief carver on the work.

In 1969 Luigi Del Bianco died of accelerated silicosis. He was 76.