Yesterday, I came to the realization that many people don't know the history of the infamous Lawn Flamingo. It's such a neat story that I wish more people were aware of how they came to be. Plus, they were invented in Massachusetts, which is where I've lived all my life, so that adds a bit of extra value for me!
The below text is from Wikipedia, which recounts the history quite well...
The History of the Plastic flamingo...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Pink plastic flamingos are a symbol of North American consumerism and how quickly a fad can catch on. One of the most famous of lawn ornaments along with garden gnomes and other such ornamentation, the pink flamingo is an icon of pop culture, as well as a statement. It has even spawned a lawn greeting industry where flocks of pink flamingos are installed on a victim's lawn in the dark of night. Plastic flamingos are widely considered to be the stereotypical example of lawn kitsch.
The history of the pink flamingo can be traced back to 1946 when a company in Leominster, Massachusetts called Union Products started manufacturing products they titled “Plastics for the Lawn”. Their original collection included two dimensional dogs, ducks, frogs, and even a flamingo.
In 1956, the company hired a young designer named Don Featherstone. Don's first project was to redesign their popular duck into the third dimension. Don used a live duck as his model and after five months of work, the duck was retired to a local park.
His next project would prove to be his most famous. He couldn't get his hands on real flamingos, so he used photographs from a National Geographic in its place. He sculpted the original out of clay, which was then used to make a plaster cast. The plaster cast, in turn, was used to form the molds for the plastic. The original design called for detailed wooden legs, but they proved to be too costly and were replaced by the metal ones still seen today. While the exact date was never recorded, the first pink flamingo was born some time during 1957.
Some lawn flamingoes were cast in reinforced concrete with iron legs.
In the late 1950s, the flawless American lawn was beginning to take over, and with it the bright colored pink flamingo. Pink was a big color, plastic was still news.
The 1960s were not as friendly to the pink flamingo. There was a rebellion against everything man made. It was a time to go back to nature, and the plastic flamingo quickly became the prototype of bad taste and anti-nature. By 1970, even Sears had removed the pink-feathered bird from its catalog.
But that wasn't the end, because some people just love to do things that annoy people. If pink flamingos were the ultimate in bad taste, then people were sure to place them on their lawn to bug their neighbors. And they did so in great numbers.
By 1984, Miami Vice had kicked the sales of pink flamingos into full throttle. For the first time ever, Union Plastics sold more flamingos than they did ducks.
Today pink flamingos are sold for just about every purpose. They are purchased for use as wedding decorations, housewarming gifts, and as replacements for reindeer at Christmas time. Church youth groups sometimes use pink flamingos as fundraising tools, planting them in church members yards, then asking for donations to have them "removed."
Some people actually travel with their pink flamingos. The plastic birds go camping, hiking, skiing, and mountain biking. Entire web sites are devoted to the travels of these artificial creatures. Pink flamingos have also become a prime target of pranksters. Many are stolen off lawns every year, particularly by kids that have been drinking. Others are kidnapped and held for ransom. One particular pair was kidnapped and had their ransom paid in play money.
Authentic flamingos always have Don Featherstone’s signature under their tails. Each has a yellow beak with a black tip and they are only sold in pairs."
The above image is taken from www.flamingomania.com. They sell the original pink flamingos, as well as other great pink flamingo products.
Needless to say, I've got a pair of flamingos which will be taking up residence in the tiny front yard of my new house as soon as I move in. I just hope no one birdnaps them!
