A slight diversion 15 miles off of Interstate 80 through Iowa stands Albert, the world's largest concrete bull, in Audubon. There he grazes proudly, next to a campground playground. The statue, built by the Audubon Junior Chamber of Commerce, is a replica of a Hereford bull, and was built as a tribute to the beef industry so important to Iowans. He was conceived in 1963 and is named after Albert Kruse, a banker instrumental in bringing attention to the area through an event called Operation T-Bone. This site is definitely worth the detour — it's not every day you get to see a 45-ton, 30 foot tall concrete bovine (anatomically correct, too, I might add). Places like this should be treasured: earnest folkartwork done by the common man (and woman) in tribute to something ordinary done on a vast scale to get you to "steer" off the highway and gawk. To skip this place would be unforgiva-bull.
5 comments:
Oh Albert! I love him. I also love your puns!
Thanks, Amber! I appreciate your compliment and I say that with no Amber-guity.
Thanks for sparing us the detail shots of the "anatomically correct" bits. Although, I'm surprised you did!
Just wondering.... It must have taken a huge team of men to erect Albert - I mean, build him.... how does the beef forman decide the pecking order (PECKING.. get your mind out of the gutter!!) as to who works on which features? Most senior dudes get the horns? Rookies get the cookies?
I bet the new guys think that is total bull.
Bill: I wonder if they had to call in a bull-istics experts, too.
August 5-7 they will be having "Operation T-Bone" near Albert the Bull, a small town festival complete with a steak feed.
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