Big Potato Man
{{Short description|Potato sculpture in New Brunswick, Canada}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox monument
|monument_name = Big Potato Man
|image = Big Potato Man Maugerville 2025.jpg
|image_size =
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|mapframe = yes
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|location = Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada
|designer = Winston Bronnum
|type = Potato sculpture
|material = concrete
|length =
|width =
|height = {{convert|6.1|m|ft}}
|begin =
|complete =
|open = 1969
|dedicated_to =
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|coordinates = {{coord|45.887798|N|66.524637|W|type:landmark_region:CA_scale:10000|name=Big Potato Man|display=inline}}
|lat =
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Big Potato Man is a sculpture of a large potato man located along Route 105 in Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada. Constructed in 1969 by Winston Bronnum, Big Potato Man serves as a form of roadside advertisement for the adjacent farming business.
Description
Big Potato Man is a large potato sculpture in Maugerville, New Brunswick.{{cite web |last1=Tobias |first1=Conan |title=Big As All Outdoors - Taddle Creek |url=https://www.taddlecreekmag.com/big-as-all-outdoors |access-date=19 April 2024 |language=en-CA |date=9 August 2020}} Made using concrete, it stands at a height of {{Convert|20|ft|m}} with a thickness of {{convert|3|ft|m}}.{{cite news |last1=Steeves |first1=Shelley |title='The backbone of the business was the potato': Buzz Harvey to sell iconic farm in Maugerville |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/2352329/the-backbone-of-the-business-was-the-potato-buzz-harvey-to-sell-iconic-farm-in-maugerville/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=Global News |date=20 November 2015}} The sculpture has two legs, arms resembling twigs, a smiling face,{{cite news |last1=Clow |first1=Tara |title=Help Save The 'Potatoman' |url=https://www.919thebend.ca/2022/04/29/help-save-the-potatoman/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=91.9 The Bend |language=en}} and sports a black top hat. Big Potato Man was created in 1969 by sculptor Winston Bronnum for Karl Harvey, as a means to advertise the roadside stand for his family farming business.{{cite news |last1=MacAfee |first1=Michelle |title=Curious monuments in quest for quirky |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-phoenix/145634759/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |agency=The Canadian Press |work=Star-Phoenix |date=21 January 1995 |page=52 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Jaeger |first1=Griffin |title=Bringing Maugerville's Big Potato back to life a 'proud moment' for mason |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/big-potato-restored-1.6531501 |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=CBC News |date=26 July 2022}}
Big Potato Man stands along Route 105, which was formerly part of the Trans-Canada Highway.{{cite news |title=Canadian communities take pride in large monuments |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leader-post/145635282/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=The Leader-Post |date=28 January 1995 |page=49 |language=en}} Since 1969, it has stood at the front of a farming business.{{cite news |last1=Smellie |first1=Sarah |title=Thousands raised for N.B. roadside potato man statue in need of many fixings - New Brunswick |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8791331/nb-potato-man-statue-fundraising/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |agency=The Canadian Press |work=Global News |date=27 April 2022}}
History
=Background=
In 1921, J. H. Harvey bought a farm in Maugerville, a small community along the Saint John River between Fredericton and Oromocto. The Harvey family ran a business, known then as Harvey's, selling vegetables at their roadside stand.
=''Big Potato Man''=
In 1968, Karl Harvey, who ran the family farming business at the time, sought the creation for a large potato sculpture, seeking a creative method to advertise his stand. In 1969, Karl had Big Potato Man built. Created by sculptor Winston Bronnum using concrete,{{cite web |title=The Big Potato Info |url= http://harveysbigpotato.com/potato_info.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100722065353/http://harveysbigpotato.com/potato_info.html |archive-date = 22 July 2010 |access-date=21 April 2024 }} the sculpture measured {{Convert|20|ft|m}} high and had a thickness of 3 feet. Big Potato Man proved successful for the business, with Gordon (Buzz) Harvey, Karl's son, later saying "he doubled our business within three to four years pretty well." Following Karl Harvey's death in 1996, the $1,500 Karl Harvey Memorial Scholarship was posthumously created in his honour.{{cite news |title=Scholarship offered in Karl Harvey's memory |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/412618898/ |access-date=21 April 2024 |work=The Daily Gleaner |date=1 June 1998}} On March 24, 1999, the sculpture was nearly destroyed when a fire struck the business.{{cite news |title=Fire Ravages Landmark |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star/145634998/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=The Toronto Star |date=25 March 1999 |page=6 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Fire ravages potato landmark |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/morning-sentinel/145635094/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=Morning Sentinel |date=25 March 1999 |page=13 |language=en}}
In November 2015,{{cite news |last1=Sirois |first1=Stephanie |title=Harvey's Big Potato reopens under new management |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/harveys-big-potato-reopens-1.3618663 |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=CBC News |date=6 June 2016}} the farm and home of Big Potato Man, then known as Harvey's Big Potato farm, was put up for sale. Silver Valley Farms began leasing the farm in 2016,{{cite news |last1=LaVerne |first1=Stewart |title=Harvey's Big Potato to open later this month under new management |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1794720676/ |access-date=21 April 2024 |work=The Daily Gleaner |date=9 June 2016}} and would take ownership of the establishment in September 2021.{{cite news |last1=Hallihan |first1=Bruce |title=Potato Man to be repaired after public's 'awesome response' |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2888581829/ |access-date=21 April 2024 |work=The Daily Gleaner |date=10 May 2022}} In April 2022, Silver Valley Farms sought repairs for Big Potato Man, which was at risk of collapsing.{{cite news |last1=Samson |first1=Alyson |title=New Brunswick's Big Potato Man under threat of being mashed |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/new-brunswick-s-big-potato-man-under-threat-of-being-mashed-1.5877326 |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=CTV Atlantic |date=26 April 2022 |language=en}} However, repair costs quoted at {{CAD|10000}} prompted the creation of a GoFundMe campaign,{{cite news |last1=Samson |first1=Alyson |last2=Wentzell |first2=Stephen |title=The Big Potato goes from tattered tater to sophisticated spud in N.B. town |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/the-big-potato-goes-from-tattered-tater-to-sophisticated-spud-in-n-b-town-1.5999807 |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=CTV Atlantic |date=23 July 2022 |language=en}} which quickly racked in support. The fundraiser raised over {{CAD|4600}} within the first 48 hours,{{cite news |last1=Hallihan |first1=Bruce |title=Iconic Big Potato Man needs a hand; Rescuing a landmark |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2888581323/ |access-date=21 April 2024 |work=The Daily Gleaner |date=26 April 2022}} and successfully reached its goal within nearly two weeks.
See also
- The World's Largest Lobster, another sculpture made by Bronnum