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California Statues (page 8)

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Pirate & Mermaid
Oceanside, CA
This Pirate and Mermaid statues are installed next to the Rodeway Inn. Does anyone know how long they have been here or what business they were associated with originally? [map]

Forever Marilyn
Palm Springs, CA
 Unconditional Surrender
San Diego, CA
This Forever Marilyn statue depicting Marilyn Monroe is 26 feet tall. It was created by Seward Johnson from stainless steel and aluminum. The statue was previously installed in Chicago and was moved here in 2012. The statue was moved to New Jersey in 2014. In 2021, it returned to Palm Springs and was installed in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum. In 2024, it was decided to move it to a park. For more, see this website.

The Unconditional Surrender statue was also created by Seward Johnson. It was inspired by a VJ Day photo from 1945 of a sailor kissing a nurse. The 25-foot-tall statue is made of bronze. Johnson's first version of this statue was built in 2005. It was made of styrofoam and installed in Times Square in New York City to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. In 2007, a temporary version of this statue was installed in San Diego. That one was replaced with a permanent version in 2013. It is installed next to the USS Midway Museum. [map]

There was an identical statue in Hamilton, NJ which has been moved to Rome, Italy. There is another one in Sarasota, FL and a smaller one in Waikiki, HI. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Astronaut
Palm Springs, CA
 Gene Autry
Palm Springs, CA
This Astronaut statue was installed in front of FLWR CO. Cannabis Dispensary around 2022. This statue was produced by Design Toscano and advertises for Moon Edibles. [map]

This bronze Gene Autry sculpture was created by DeL'Esprie and installed in 2009 at the Gene Autry Plaza shopping center. He was known as the "Singing Cowboy." There is an identical statue in Los Angeles. [map]

Nikola Tesla
Palo Alto, CA
The bronze sculpture of Nikola Tesla holding a wireless light bulb was created by Terry Guyer and installed in 2013. For more, see this website. [map]

Greek Warriors
Palo Alto, CA
These Greek Warriors at Caffe Riace are reproductions of the Riace Bronzes. [map]

Delta Pioneer Fisherman
Pittsburg, CA
The bronze Delta Pioneer Fisherman sculpture was created by Frank J. Vitale in 1992. Titled "The Day the River Closed," it memorializes the end of commercial fishing in the area in 1957. In 1994, a copy of the statue was installed in Isola delle Femmine in Palermo (Sicily), Italy. For more, see this website. [map]

Steelworker
Pittsburg, CA
The bronze Steelworker sculpture was also created by Frank J. Vitale and installed in 1993. For more, see this website. [map]

Bob's Tire Center
Red Bluff, CA

2008:
2015:

Bob's Tire Center [gone]
Corning, CA
 Jim's Tire Center
Simi Valley, CA
These Bob's Tire Center chainsaw-carved wooden statues were created in the 1990s. There are three of them at this Red Bluff location: one outside and two inside. The statue outside was repainted around 2012. The statue in the window is about half the size of the other two statues. [map]

The Bob's Tire Center in Corning no longer had a statue but the store still featured the mascot on its signs. By 2023, the signs were gone and the business was known as Leo's Tire & Alignment Center.

Jim's Tire Center has another one of these statues. This store was probably a Bob's Tire Center originally. There were other statues like this at the Bob's Tire Center in Chico, CA and another inside the Corning, CA location. Both of those locations are gone. The statue looks a lot like the Tire Man chain advertising mascot. However, instead of a service man's hat, these statues wear cowboy hats. I assume the statues with cowboy hats were the earlier design. The Simi Valley statue was previously located outside the shop. I'm told that the damage to the statue's left ear and hat came from the statue being knocked over during the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

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