Roadside
Giants ,
by Brian and Sarah Butko
Everybody who's ever taken
an American road trip has a memory -- and more probably a
photograph -- of a roadside giant. Paul Bunyan, the Jolly
Green Giant, an oversized hot dog - there's at least one in
every state, and Canada has scores of them, too. What is less
obvious and remarkably fascinating is the history and evolution
of these highway icons. In Roadside Giants, Brian and
Sarah Butko not only identify 24 varieties of oversized statuary
and object-shaped buildings, they reveal their histories.
Each chapter focuses on an outstanding example
of roadside gigantism. Beginning with Long Island's Big Duck,
the authors not only tell the story of how an enterprising
duck farmer called attention to his egg stand, but also how
"duck" has become a term to describe a building
that visually represents the wares it sells. This carefully
researched background information is what sets Roadside
Giants apart from other books on the same topic. Many
books have excellent photographs, but this one has depth,
too. The authors treat their subjects with a respect they
rarely get, and the result is an engaging look into the evolution
of America's car-centric culture.
The chapter about "muffler men" is
a good example of the authors' attention to research. Not
only have they included excellent photographs and background
information about these big fiberglass dudes from all across
the continent, they also dug up fascinating details about
the factory that created them, why they look the way they
do, how much they cost new, and how they came to be called
"muffler men." I can't say I find these colossi
exactly beautiful, but now that I know more about them, I
have begun to foster a certain fondness.
Wigwam Villages are the subject of another chapter
in Roadside Giants. While few of these roadside hostelries
are still in operation, the authors have provided an excellent
rundown of the wigwam motel phenomenon and the man responsible
for the creation of most of them. As with all the buildings
and statues still in existence, addresses, directions and
Web sites are provided. The book also has an excellent general
bibliography and a good list of Web sites with more information
about roadside Americana.
Another great thing about Roadside Giants
is that it covers new as well as old. It's easy to believe
that nobody's building big statues and object-shaped buildings
any more, but just turn to the chapter about the Longaberger
basket company to find out differently. The company's "home
office" in central Ohio is a 23-foot tall picnic basket
that was completed in 1997.
From big donuts and hot dogs to decorated
water towers, huge coffee pots, enormous elephants and life-sized
dinosaurs, the Butkos have done a great job of capturing the
glories of fiberglass and stucco in this book. It's a delightful
read and -- just like a good road trip book should -- it makes
you want to get out there and find your own "muffler
man."
Megan
Edwards
2/26/06
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