Tail o' the Pup - 1949 & 1988. Photo Credits: Tail O' the Pup Official Website.
Weekly What's Large Where
Each week features a profile of a specific oversized roadside monument and the town that built it, exploring what makes little towns across the US stand out in a really big way. Each week a new What's Large Where trivia question will be asked, to be answered in next week's column. Once a month, we'll feature a profile of a World's Largest Thing enthusiast, researcher, or builder, letting you in on the motivations and inspirations behind these monumental works of roadside culture. We started writing the columns in 2004, and haven't even come close to running out of material.
Last week's Whats Large Where trivia question:
What crazy California thing was recently moved into storage for future preservation?
Tail o' the Pup - 1949 & 1988. Photo Credits: Tail O' the Pup Official Website.
Answer: Tail O’ the Pup Hot Dog Stand
California was an epicenter for Mimetic architecture - that is, architecture that ‘mimics’ something else. In the 30s, 40s, and 50s Hollywood eateries were being built in the forms of doggie diners, tamale-shaped tamale stands, and owl-shaped ice cream stands. Larger than life objects served up fast food in a fun way, scattered throughout the filmmaking area.
One of these early iconic structures is Tail O’ the Pup Hot Dog Stand, a giant concrete wiener, nestled in its bun, which serves as the walk-up façade for fast hot dog service. A giant hotdog, serving up hotdogs to the LA crowd since 1946. In 2005, the landowners decided to develop a condo complex, and refused to renew the lease for the stand. The owners moved the historic façade into storage, awaiting a new location to re-erect the Pup.
The Tail O’ the Pup has survived this sort of silliness before, having to move from its original Beverly Boulevard location a few blocks to its San Vicente Boulevard location in 1986. It was pronounced a cultural landmark at that time, and its progress is documented on numerous preservation society pages, but its future is uncertain. A November 2005 report in the Los Angeles Times indicated that the stand may find a new home in Westwood Village, in a Broxton Avenue parking lot.
This week's What's Large Where trivia question:
Where would one go for another oversized Wiener?
You'll get the answer in next week's Weekly Whats Large Where column.
If you just can't wait, you can find photos and stories about more monumental oddities online at www.WorldsLargestThings.com.
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