Laumeier Sculpture Park Eyeball

The trip to Saint Louis was rich in Big Photo opportunities. Catherine and Dale took us to the Laumeier Sculpture Park to see this Big Object. Quite something. Created by the artist Tony Tasset this sculpture titled appropriately “Eye, 2007” is one of many of his artworks found in public areas. In fact, another eyeball like this can be found in Pritzker Park near the Loop in Chicago.

eyeball

Laumeier Sculpture Park Eyeball

Brown Shoe Company

The Brown Shoe company in Saint Louis has this Big Shoe made up of shoes sculpture in front of their headquarters. The Big Shoe of Shoes, sounds like an Ed Sullivan introduction, of course you have to be a Baby Boomer to understand that.

 

shoe

Brown Shoe Company

Joe Louis Fist

At the foot of Woodward Avenue in Detroit, shop my hometown by the way, here is a tribute to one of the Great Boxers – Joe Louis. From Detroit. He became the most notable boxer of his time – the Golden Age of boxing. I ask you, who can name the current Heavyweight Boxing Champion? Can you?

fist

Joe Louis Fist

 

Detroit Stove

If you grew up in Detroit like I did, prescription this stove was one of the more memorable landmarks in Detroit. For years it stood at the corner of Jefferson and E. Grand Blvd. near the Belle Isle Bridge. It was relocated to the Michigan State Fairgrounds where we finally tracked it down. Lindsey (a newbie to this site) and Andy were with us when we grabbed this opportunity for a photo. The Fairgrounds were “closed” but we managed to get the photo anyway. Thanks to “you know who.”

stove

Detroit Stove

 

Hong Kong Hats

I was in Hong Kong staying at the Hotel Nikko, which was very nice. Good rooms, good location and a very pleasant experience. I was traveling with Milan who took these photos. We had to take these pretty late so the quality is not so great, I think we were on the way back from the Tailors where I was having a suit made.  I never had a custom-made suit, what an interesting experience..  I also had 3 shirts custom tailored.

Car Wash Boot

The car washes in Southwest Indiana have a lot of Big Thigs. These boots were out in front of one of the car washes in Vincennes. I probably could have spent more time there since, it seems, there may be a competition between car washes to see who can have the most, or better, Big Things.

boot

Car Wash Boot

Southern Indiana Bins

This ia a planned shot for our trip to South Indiana. These feed storage bins shows that a sense of humor exists everywhere. This was not an easy image to capture and Hats Off to Deb for her ability to climb through ditchs and up embankments in pursuit of the perfect image.

bins

Southern Indiana Bins

China Bag

I was in “Red China” to visit some vendors and also went to a customers China sourcing office. As we entered the lobby of their building there was this large bag. I proceeded to get my photo taken, and just in time I might say, since shortly after this image was captured the building guard came running to tell me that we could not take a photo like this. Go figure, what’s the harm?

bag

China Bag

Sun Aura Sundial

Here’s an intriguing image, not so much as to look at as to get. Seems like this Big Leg is part of a sundial at the Sun Aura Resort, which just happens to be a “Clothing Optional” resort — and you know what that means. Well, I’ve been taking these photos for a long time and I wasn’t going to be deterred, (even if it was late November) from achieving my objective! (ps. if sun worship is your thing, Sun Aura as well as the Ponderosa Sun Club are about 3 miles west of I-65 off exit 230 in Indiana.) Can you believe it — 2 nudist camps in Indiana? They must be coming down from Chicago. (btw: I have another version of this photo that I submitted to a Roadside America photo contest and won an RCA Small Wonder camcorder.  That photo is posted on their website.)

sundial

Sun Aura Sundial

2 Story Chest

This 2 story chest of drawers makes up a rare two-fer. I wanted a photo of the World’s Largest Rocking Chair when “quell surprise,” we got to Long’s Furniture and found this beauty. I would usually stop in the store and drop off a “Jim’s Big Things” business card and let the owner know that I took a photo there but we were short on time and I didn’t want to keep the Dalai waiting.

chest

2 Story Chest

 

NASCAR Cellphone

Another Oldie but Goodie. I just rediscovered this shot in the archieves. Ben gave me tickets for an Indianapolis Indians game as a Father’s Day present. Which, of course, meant he was coming in for a visit. Well, the tickets were for the same weekend as the NASCAR Brickyard race. Never having been to a NASCAR race I bought tickets. Long story short, this inflatable was in the lot outside the raceway. PS. Jimmie Johnson, my driver, won there again.

phone

NASCAR Cellphone

Warm Glow Candle

On Interstate 70, just as you pass into Indiana from Ohio, is Warm Glow Candle. And or course what better way to advertise their business than this Large Candle. It looks to have grown from a small family business into a nice size business. If you like candles and knick knacks Warm Glow is your type of place.

candle

Warm Glow Candle

Giant Paint Can

Deb and I were on our way home on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and thought we would drop down to Chambersburg for lunch. We took I-81 South and were cruising along when she exclaimed, “look at that!” Certainly the largest paint can I’ve ever seen. Of course we had to travel another 4 miles before we could exit. We trekked back on secondary roads and finally found this big can of paint outside The Door Shop.

paint can

Giant Paint Can

CVS Sunblock

On our way to get a photo of the Hershey’s Kissmobile we stopped at the CVS store where Deb, the ever vigilant Bird Dog, had previously spotted this larger than life bottle of Sunblock. It was sitting right on the front counter so I asked the checkout gal if I could take my picture with it. She gave me a strange look (not a new experience in this pursuit) but I showed her a couple of photos from my travel book and then she said “go ahead.”

sunblock

CVS Sunblock

CES Gibson Guitars

Of course I’m not the only one that thinks that Bigger is Better. Gibson Guitar obviously thinks so too. Flanking the entrance to their tent at CES they had two Big Guitars. While Steve was taking these pictures I heard a voice call out, “Hey, no Big Pictures allowed here.” It was Dick Valente coming to meet one of his customers.

guitar

Gibson Guitar

guitar

Gibson Guitar

CES iPod Case Display

One of the benefits of my job is I have some input into our display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year. Of course, I recommended we have a BIG iPod package! So we did it and here’s the result. Pretty cool, and it worked out well as part of the display too.

display

CES iPod Case Display

Cherry Hill Mall Jigsaw

Ben and Annie spotted a lot of Big Things at Cherry Hill Mall last Christmas and told me we had to go there! Since Sears.com sent Ben an LCD telephone instead of the wrench set I ordered, I needed to make a trip to the mall anyway so I was able to get this image. Unfortunately, even though I wrote a pretty good letter, I still haven’t received a response yet from Sears. Let that be a lesson.

jigsaw

Cherry Hill Mall Jigsaw

Mantua Tooth

Here’s another I’ve found in the archieves from the trip to New Jersey last Christmas. Ben, my son, Bird Dogged this one for me. He was having lunch at the Telford Inn, in Mantua, NJ and when he walked out afterward he spotted this big tree tooth in front of a dentists office. There are many old Inn’s in New Jersey and most have pretty good food, but they don’t all have a tooth like this one.

tooth

Mantua Tooth

Herff-Jones Ring

I get a lot of calls from people I know saying, “Hey, you have to get to…” and then tell me about a Big Thing Sighting. This time it was Deb at Fishers High School, the new school in the Hamilton Southeastern system. I left work and rushed over. We had to move some of the Herff-Jones set-up, they were very helpful as a matter of fact. Nothing like an unexpected find.

ring

Herff-Jones Ring