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Other International Fiberglass Statues (page 2)

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International Fiberglass' Golfer models wear open-necked, short-sleeved dress shirts. Unlike the Paul Bunyan models, the pants went down to the shoes and there were no suspenders buttons at the top of the pants. These 21-foot-tall statues were accessorized with golf clubs and ball caps. For more, see this photo courtesy of Terry Nelson.

Golfer
El Monte, CA (now Gallatin, TN)
This Golfer in El Monte stood in front of the El Monte Sign Co. He was nicknamed "Edwin". This statue was once installed at a mini golf course in Duarte, CA. He still held the golf club. This statue had been here since at least 1999. In 2015, the statue was sold and is now located at Four Way Muffler in Gallatin, TN. The statue now holds a muffler instead of the golf club. His ballcap is also gone, too. For more, see this website. [map]

Golfer
Carson, CA

2008:
2013:
2021:
This Golfer statue has been located next to the freeway at the Dominguez Hills Golf Course since around 1975. He was painted black at one time but after public uproar, he was repainted Caucasian white. The statue used to be painted entirely green for St. Patrick's Day each year. In 2013, the golf course closed and was demolished. The statue's golf club was removed. A few months later, the statue was repainted and dressed in a custom-made race car driver outfit. He held a checkered flag. His hat had a Michelin Tire logo. The property was being developed for a Porsche Experience Center. In 2020, the outfit was gone and the statue was painted black and red. For more, see this website. [map]

Golfer
Chesterfield, MI
This Golfer statue is located at the World's Finest Frozen Custard & Family Fun Center. He apparently had a bow tie originally. His shirt is also unusual because it not tucked into his pants. It may have been a later modification. This statue was located somewhere else previously and held a wrench. This hat was either custom made by International Fiberglass or installed later. [map]

Astronaut
Wilmington, IL
International Fiberglass used the names Astronaut and Spaceman interchangeably in its catalogs. There are conflicting stories about the origins of this Astronaut statue, aka the Gemini Giant. One version is that the statue was originally a standard Paul Bunyan statue. It was bought at an auction in 1965 and installed at a gas station in town. It was there that he was converted into an astronaut. At some point, the statue was moved to the Launching Pad drive-in restaurant. His helmet was either replaced or a larger hole was cut to reveal more of his face.

The other story is that the owners saw a Paul Bunyan statue at a National Restaurant Association convention in 1965. They ordered the Spaceman statue directly from International Fiberglass. This story seems the more plausible of the two. However, I have seen a vintage photo of an Astronaut statue at a gas station and it was identified as being located in Wilmington, IL.

This statue's face is lit from the inside the helmet at night. The statue has had two rockets stolen over the years. The Launching Pad restaurant originally opened in 1960 as a Dari Delite. It was renamed in 1965. The restaurant had been closed since 2010 but new owners were found in 2017. That didn't last long but different owners were found. In 2019, the statue was restored. In 2022, the statue was moved further back from the road and installed on a concrete pad for protection. The restaurant closed again shortly after that. The Joliet Area Historical Museum's bid to buy it and turn it into a welcome center and restaurant was rejected by the owner. The building remains vacant. In 2024, the statue was sold at auction to the Joliet Area Historical Museum which has donated the statue to the city of Wilmington. The statue has been restored and is now installed at the entrance to South Island Park.

There were only one or two other Astronaut statues known to have been produced. One was installed in 1966 in Brooklyn, NY at Astroland in Coney Island. That statue is long gone. It had a different style helmet and the statue's pants stopped just above his boots. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. At some point later on, the statue was painted gold and the helmet was removed.

The other Astronaut statue may have been produced for the Astro Oil Co. (location unknown). The visor on the helmet was different from the one in Coney Island. However, the rocket-shaped sign that both statues held appears to be the same. It's possible that this statue was actually moved to Astroland later on and had a different helmet installed at some point. Therefore, there are only two or three Astronauts known to have been produced by International Fiberglass.

Chicken Boy
Los Angeles, CA
The Chicken Boy head was produced by an artist in Palm Springs, CA. The rest of the body is from International Fiberglass. The statue stood on top of a building in downtown Los Angeles and held a bucket to advertise for a fried chicken restaurant below. When the restaurant closed in 1984, the statue was saved and put in storage. In 2007, the statue was restored and put back on display. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map]

Giant Man
Ste-Anne-de-Sabrevois, QC (Canada)
2007:
 2009:
The Giant Man in Ste-Anne-de-Sabrevois and the statue shown below in Fonthill have Paul Bunyan bodies but different heads. Apparently, there were only a few of these heads made and they were only used in Canada.

The statue in Ste-Anne-de-Sabrevois is known as Le Géant. Some say it stood in front of a pastry shop in Montreal. This postcard from the 1960s probably shows the same statue in Napierville, QC where he held a hot dog. He may have been moved to a mini golf course before being moved here where he wore a paper hat and held a Coca-Cola cup and hot dog. This "Coke Man" got a makeover in 2009 when the fast food stand behind him closed. The statue began advertising for the antiques dealer at the same location. A bill was added to the chef's hat to turn it into a ball cap. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [first photo Mark Comstock] [map]

Giant Man
Fonthill, ON (Canada)
This Giant Man stood in front of Mr. Furnace's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning when these photos were taken in 2007. In 2015, Rosehill Auctions moved into the building. The sign was changed and the statue was repainted. His shirt and arms have been painted bright pink. For more, see this website. [map]

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