Easter Island Head

What I really wanted was a concrete dinosaur, preferably a Tyrannosaurus Rex, about three feet tall, for my garden.  On a recent visit to the Shenandoah Valley, I stopped in at Harper’s Lawn Ornaments and Water Gardens, and was informed by a salesman that they do not make concrete dinosaurs.  He suggested a dragon instead, but I said it wouldn’t be the same.

Apparently, Harper’s is the only company making concrete sculptures within 200 miles of Harrisonburg, Virginia.  That means that even if I do find a concrete dinosaur, the shipping is going to be expensive, unless I am willing to drive to pick it up.  However, Harper’s also carries an Easter Island head which is 32 inches tall which I may consider as an alternative.

Even if I didn’t find the garden sculpture of my dreams, a visit to Harper’s has plenty to offer a photographer such as myself, who loves the kitschy nature of lawn and garden statuary.

Dragons (NOT the same as dinosaurs)

Ladies in waiting

More Easter Island Heads

Weeping Angel

Lazy elves

and finally…

Little boys taking a whiz

You can see more of my photos from this trip to Harper’s, and a previous trip in 2008, on my Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tackyjulie/sets/72157628419903833/

Easter Island Head in Kensington, Maryland

In Kensington, Maryland, there is a replica of an Easter Island Head looking south toward Washington, D.C.  It was created about 15 or 20 years ago to appear on  a high school parade float sponsored by a local gas station.  For many years, it stood across the street from the Wheaton-Glenmont police station.  However, it was recently discovered, nicely repainted, at the Getty gas station in Kensington.  Unfortunately, it’s got a nasty gash on the side of its head.  Who would do such a thing?  I think it’s sad that some people don’t respect and value what little quirkiness we have in the D.C. area.

I, for one, have had an obsession with Big Heads for some time.  Whether it is the magnificently tacky Mount Rushmore, or the questionable Crazy Horse Monument, or the ridiculous Presidents Park; we Americans can’t seem to shake our need for gigantic noggins.  So, you vandals in Montgomery County, leave our big head alone!

Big Boy Scout Head

After a visit to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. this past Sunday, I was surprised to see a big head rolling down 7th Street NW in front of the museum, and hang a left onto Constitution Avenue.  Blaring out of the speakers was John Phillip Sousa’s Liberty Bell March, better known as the theme to Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America.  Not only did this parade feature an awesome big head, but thousands of uniformed boys and adults braved intense heat for the celebration.

It’s no secret that I have a fascination with big heads.  It started when I first set eyes on the Big Heads in Buena Vista one weekend in September 2000, and culminated in a pilgrimage to Mount Rushmore in 2008.  This is the first new big head I’ve seen in a while, and I am happy to say I have a short video of it.  As I heard the ending strains of Sousa’s march, I had a mental image of the end of the Monty Python theme with its distinctive “PBBLLLTTT” and the giant bare foot coming down from the sky.  It made my day.

Video of Big Boy Scout Head

Monty Python’s Flying Circus opening theme