When I posted the video Swetsville Zoo – In A Colorado Minute (Week 194), I already wrote about my fascination with roadside attractions. In my quest to visit, film and share with you a whole series of them, this week I explored the ones the fruitful website roadsideamerica.com listed for Fort Collins. Because two of them were dog related, I took Whiskey and her acting coach Scott along. Once I finished editing, I realized I might as well have called the video “Whiskey takes a tour of Fort Collins Roadside Attractions” – but that’s just too long.
The large Campbell’s soup can on the campus of Colorado State University was built (together with two others) in honor of Andy Warhol’s soup can prints – but not by him. However, when he visited in 1981 for an exhibit of his work at the CSU art museum, he ended up signing the cans. Does that now make them authentic Andy Warhol works? Read an excerpt from Warhol’s diary about his visit in this article from the Coloradoan. (Remington and Lake)
The scrap metal man and dog at the Nelsen’s Auto Center were built by Tim Reader of Master Metal Works entirely out of used car parts. You may note that the two male metal beings were built with all necessary detail – however, in the video I chose to focus more on the faces, hands and my real life dog checking out the scene. I really appreciated Tim’s sister coming outside to say hello and tell us about the sculpture. People really are nice out here. (361 E. Mountain Avenue)
The memorial to Annie, the Railroad Dog, has several parts. In Library Park (201 Peterson Street), there is a big engraved stone with a metal silhouette of Annie and a life-sized bronze sculpture (by Dawn Weiner) of her greeting passers-by – like she used to greet arriving passengers at the Mason Street train station in the 1930s and 40s. At the Mason Street Depot (Mason and LaPorte) you can find her actual gravestone, which is a historic site and reads “From C and S Men to Annie Our Dog. 1934 – 1948.”
Annie was a loyal mutt adopted by railroad workers and considered an ambassador to Fort Collins, according to the inscription on the base of the bronze sculpture. She is still celebrated every year during Annie’s Dog Walk, which I may just feature in a future video.
Talking about future videos… Today starts the 200th week of my weekly 1-minute Moving Postcard videos! I already have something special planned, which will require a road trip (YES!) and will feature a rather well-known American roadside attraction…
The song in this video is “Swallowed By The Sea” – written and performed by Jason Matherne of Goonygoogoo Productions.
You can look at more photos from this video shoot on my personal blog: Photos of Roadside Attractions in Fort Collins, Colorado
