The Man Who Washed Lincoln’s Nose
During preproduction of one of his signature films, Alfred Hitchcock briefly considered the title The Man in Lincoln’s Nose before ultimately settling on ::imdb("0053125","North by Northwest")::. To this day, I can’t hear about or read about Mount Rushmore without thinking of this bit of cinematic trivia.
Earlier today, I stumbled upon an article on CNN about a German company that donated workers and equipment for a three-week effort to power-wash the famous faces in South Dakota.
When I noticed the accompanying photo depicting a man at work cleaning a massive nose, I found myself praying “Let it be Lincoln. Please, oh please let it be Lincoln!”
Sure enough, the caption proclaimed “Jens Kranhold of Germany pressure-washes Abraham Lincoln’s nose at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.”
That this brought me such great joy may very well reveal something disturbingly profound about me. If so, I’d just as soon not know.
6 Ripples from “The Man Who Washed Lincoln’s Nose”
Kevin says:
August 2, 2005 at 8:09 am
Maybe when Sufjan gets to South Dakota he’ll use The Man in Lincoln’s Nose as a song title.
Nicole says:
August 2, 2005 at 11:09 pm
It is good to know that there is some kind of all encompassing order to God’s creation that comes full circle once in awhile...and I bet it often involves body parts.
zalm says:
August 3, 2005 at 12:09 am
I can’t help wondering if Jens Kranhold ever had any clue as a child that one day he would polish the gargantuan schnoz of our country’s sixteenth president.
zalm says:
August 9, 2005 at 11:08 am
Hmmm… yesterday I got visited by someone in Germany searching for “Jens Kranhold.” For all I know, it mighta been the man himself. So, um, wie gehts?
Following that search led me to another article on the Rushmore job. This gem from the Denver Post is entitled: ”Up Lincoln’s Nose with a Rubber Hose.”
It’s every bit as silly as it sounds.
Oh, and the German company claims that this is the job of a lifetime. But it turns out that they’ve already given Christ a steam bath. Which sounds pretty ultimate to me.
Kevin says:
August 9, 2005 at 7:08 pm
Well, at least you still have the option of taking a bath with Jesus.
zalm says:
August 9, 2005 at 7:09 pm
Well that was a disturbing little journey.
Although it appears Jesus endorses salmon. Which is nice. I guess.
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