Big Potato Man
 | |
| 45°53′16″N 66°31′29″W / 45.887798°N 66.524637°W | |
| Location | Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada |
|---|---|
| Designer | Winston Bronnum |
| Type | Potato sculpture |
| Material | concrete |
| Height | 6.1 metres (20 ft) |
| Opening date | 1969 |
Big Potato Man is a sculpture of a large potato man located along Route 105 in Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada. Constructed in 1969 by Winston Bronnum, Big Potato Man serves as a form of roadside advertisement for the adjacent farming business.
Description
[edit]Big Potato Man is a large potato sculpture in Maugerville, New Brunswick.[1] Made using concrete, it stands at a height of 20 feet (6.1 m) with a thickness of 3 feet (0.91 m).[2] The sculpture has two legs, arms resembling twigs,[1] a smiling face,[3] and sports a black top hat.[1] Big Potato Man was created in 1969 by sculptor Winston Bronnum for Karl Harvey, as a means to advertise the roadside stand for his family farming business.[4][5]
Big Potato Man stands along Route 105, which was formerly part of the Trans-Canada Highway.[6] Since 1969, it has stood at the front of a farming business.[7]
History
[edit]Background
[edit]In 1921, J. H. Harvey bought a farm in Maugerville, a small community along the Saint John River between Fredericton and Oromocto. The Harvey family ran a business,[2] known then as Harvey's,[5] selling vegetables at their roadside stand.[2]
Big Potato Man
[edit]In 1968, Karl Harvey, who ran the family farming business at the time, sought the creation for a large potato sculpture,[2] seeking a creative method to advertise his stand. In 1969, Karl had Big Potato Man built.[4] Created by sculptor Winston Bronnum using concrete,[5][2][8] the sculpture measured 20 feet (6.1 m) high and had a thickness of 3 feet. Big Potato Man proved successful for the business, with Gordon (Buzz) Harvey, Karl's son, later saying "he doubled our business within three to four years pretty well."[2] Following Karl Harvey's death in 1996, the $1,500 Karl Harvey Memorial Scholarship was posthumously created in his honour.[9] On March 24, 1999, the sculpture was nearly destroyed when a fire struck the business.[10][11]
In November 2015,[12] the farm and home of Big Potato Man, then known as Harvey's Big Potato farm, was put up for sale.[2] Silver Valley Farms began leasing the farm in 2016,[13] and would take ownership of the establishment in September 2021.[14] In April 2022, Silver Valley Farms sought repairs for Big Potato Man, which was at risk of collapsing.[15] However, repair costs quoted at CA$10,000 prompted the creation of a GoFundMe campaign,[16] which quickly racked in support. The fundraiser raised over CA$4,600 within the first 48 hours,[17] and successfully reached its goal within nearly two weeks.[14]
See also
[edit]- The World's Largest Lobster, another sculpture made by Bronnum
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tobias, Conan (August 9, 2020). "Big As All Outdoors - Taddle Creek". Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Steeves, Shelley (November 20, 2015). "'The backbone of the business was the potato': Buzz Harvey to sell iconic farm in Maugerville". Global News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Clow, Tara. "Help Save The 'Potatoman'". 91.9 The Bend. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b MacAfee, Michelle (January 21, 1995). "Curious monuments in quest for quirky". Star-Phoenix. The Canadian Press. p. 52. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jaeger, Griffin (July 26, 2022). "Bringing Maugerville's Big Potato back to life a 'proud moment' for mason". CBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian communities take pride in large monuments". The Leader-Post. January 28, 1995. p. 49. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Smellie, Sarah (April 27, 2022). "Thousands raised for N.B. roadside potato man statue in need of many fixings - New Brunswick". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "The Big Potato Info". Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "Scholarship offered in Karl Harvey's memory". The Daily Gleaner. June 1, 1998. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "Fire Ravages Landmark". The Toronto Star. March 25, 1999. p. 6. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Fire ravages potato landmark". Morning Sentinel. March 25, 1999. p. 13. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Sirois, Stephanie (June 6, 2016). "Harvey's Big Potato reopens under new management". CBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ LaVerne, Stewart (June 9, 2016). "Harvey's Big Potato to open later this month under new management". The Daily Gleaner. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Hallihan, Bruce (May 10, 2022). "Potato Man to be repaired after public's 'awesome response'". The Daily Gleaner. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Samson, Alyson (April 26, 2022). "New Brunswick's Big Potato Man under threat of being mashed". CTV Atlantic. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Samson, Alyson; Wentzell, Stephen (July 23, 2022). "The Big Potato goes from tattered tater to sophisticated spud in N.B. town". CTV Atlantic. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Hallihan, Bruce (April 26, 2022). "Iconic Big Potato Man needs a hand; Rescuing a landmark". The Daily Gleaner. Retrieved April 21, 2024.