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Theodore Roosevelt

This bronze bust of Theodore Roosevelt was completed by James Earle Fraser circa 1920. The U.S. Senate originally requested that Roosevelt sit for a sculpted bust in 1904. Fraser received the commission, and decided to depict Roosevelt in an active position, wearing his Rough Rider uniform and the pince-nez glasses for which he was known. Though Roosevelt approved of the bust, the Senate rejected it because of Fraser's decision to attire the president as a Rough Rider. The sculptor created a more subdued alternative, but his original bust remains a testament to Roosevelt's intensity and vigor. A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley, on September 14, 1901 and served until March 4, 1909.
Artist
James Earle Fraser
Date of Work
ca. 1920
Medium
bronze
Type
Sculpture
Credit
White House Collection/White House Historical Association
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