I once again have led my long-suffering husband to new treasures along the highways and byways of this great country. I never tell the poor man where we are going, I navigate us to the address, telling him to be on the lookout for anything “unusual.” Mister Rain is not a frequent curser, but his initial reaction when he lays his eyes on the Fine Sight is often an expletive. It is always followed, though, by a laugh.
Seattle, Washington:
Hammering Man
The Hammering Man is a 48-foot-tall, 22,000 pound, two dimensional man made of steel covered in black automative paint. Hammering Man “hammers” silently and smoothly four times per minute, 20 hours a day. He only rests between 1-5 am and all-day every Labor Day.
Installed in 1992, Hammering Man is located directly in front of the Seattle Art Museum. Designed by artist Jonathan Borofsky, he wanted to honor the women and men of the working classes. The Seattle piece is the second largest Hammering Man on the planet, the tallest is in Frankfurt, Germany. Other versions of the art piece can be found in Norway, South Korea, Germany and Switzerland, as well as several other cities in the US.
Giant Paddleball
A large hand holds a paddle with a ball, just whacked, 42 feet in the air at the end of its tether. The 2011 sculpture by Catherine Mayer is made of fiberglass and steel.
Red Popsicle
This 17-foot popsicle, shown above, also by Catherine Mayer, was installed in 2011. It is made of steel and epoxy.
Gum Wall
In an alley beneath Pike Place Market, you will find the Gum Wall, a brick wall covered in used chewing gum. Gross, right? And yet . . .
The Gum Wall started in the 1990s when patrons and performers of the adjacent Market Theater stuck their chewed gum on the wall. Since then, the wall has expanded down Post Alley. It’s difficult to even find space for a new addition. As of 2024, the gum wall is 54 feet long and 8 feet high, with an estimated density of 180 pieces of gum per brick.
In 2015, the Gum Wall was completely steam cleaned for the first time in 20 years in an effort to prevent further erosion of the bricks from the sugar in the gum. Over 2,300 pounds of gum were removed, the work took 130 hours to complete. Once finished, gum immediately began appearing back on the wall. The gum wall was cleaned again in 2018 and 2024.
Rest assured, friends, I will continue running down the road trying to loosen our loads.
For other published Roadside Attractions, click below:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
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