![]() HMC sub-contracted production of the flamingos to Cado Manufacturing, Inc., a blow-molder located in Leominster, Massachusetts, who specialized in this type of production. HMC International LLC, a subsidiary of Faster-Form Corporation, purchased the copyright and plastic molds of Featherstone's original plastic flamingos in 2007. Union Products stopped production of pink flamingos on November 1, 2006. In December 2001, the Annals of Improbable Research (bestowers of the Ig Nobel prize) teamed up with the Museum of Bad Art to protest this omission in the form of a boycott. Sometime after Featherstone's retirement in 2000, Union Products began producing birds without the signature. These official flamingos were sold in pairs, one standing upright and the other with its head low to the ground, "feeding". Genuine pink flamingos made by Union Products from 1987 (the 30th anniversary of the plastic flamingo) until 2001 can be identified by the signature of Don Featherstone on the rear underside. Many imitation products have found their way onto front lawns and store shelves since then. After the release of John Waters's 1972 movie Pink Flamingos, plastic flamingos came to be the stereotypical example of lawn kitsch. It has even spawned a spoof lawn greeting industry that installs flocks of pink flamingos on a victim's lawn in the dark of night. His lawn flamingo, mass-produced by his employer, Union Products, of Leominster, Massachusetts, has since become an icon of pop culture that won him the Ig Nobel Prize for Art in 1996. ![]() The American artist Don Featherstone designed the pink lawn flamingo in 1957, naming the first Diego. These Don Featherstone pink flamingos: Classic classic classic Americana.Pink plastic flamingos are a common lawn ornament in the United States made of plastic. There’s also a book written by Don Featherstone himself - It’s called Pink Flamingos Splendor in the Grass. There was a ton of news media attention on this story at the time. Unfortunately, Union Products closed in 2006 – but fortunately, a year later a company named HHC International purchased the famous flamingo molds. Last I read, it produces from them today in Westmoreland, New York. The New York Times put his story on the front page. The tributes poured in. His hometown newspaper, the Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel & Enterprise wrote a lovely, lovely story. Also, Wikipediasays that he and his wife have dressed alike for their entire marriage.ĭon Featherstone died in June 2015. He was 79. with 57 of his flamingos on his front lawn. ![]() He retired in 2000, and continued to reside in Fitchburg, Mass. You can buy them for sale on Amazon - look for the ones by Union Products … they come in a pair… Don Featherstone’s name is on the box.įeatherstone actually rose to lead the company. Today, all the authentic reproductions being made will still have Featherstone’s signature molded into them. In 1987, Featherstone inscribed his name on the original molds, in order to differentiate them from knockoffs. (affiliate link, yes, you click & buy, I make some moola) Get them on Amazon of course> Featherstone flamingos here. Yes: Featherstone flamingos are still available today! They seem to have been in continuous production since 1958, with just one yearlong gap in 2006-2007. ![]() All Featherstone flamingos made today have his names inscribed into the mold The taller one is 30″ tall when staked into the ground. They were based on National Geographic images, and they went on the market in 1958. He sculpted the iconic pink flamingos in 1957. According to my online research, Featherstone is an artist who sculpted 750 products for Union Products, Inc., in Leominster, Mass., starting in 1956. NO DISCUSSION OF MIDCENTURY LANDSCAPING IS COMPLETE without including the famous pink flamingo lawn ornaments designed by Don Featherstone. Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021 these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
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