The deteriorating remains of Tex Randall in the city of Canyon
by Carol M Highsmith
Title
The deteriorating remains of Tex Randall in the city of Canyon
Artist
Carol M Highsmith
Medium
Photograph - Prints, Posters & Canvas
Description
The deteriorating remains of "Tex Randall," a very big Texan (47 feet tall and weighing seven tons) erected in the city of Canyon in the Texas Panhandle by industrial-arts teacher Harry Wheeler in 1959. Tex is constructed of concrete, with an internal structure of pipe, rebar, and wire mesh. He originally wore real denim jeans and a red checkered shirt, courtesy of a local tent and awning store. He casually held a giant cigarette in one hand. His sturdy design has helped him survive 100-mph winds, along with a network of steel struts and cable anchoring him to the ground. As he aged, Tex was hobbled when a semi-trailer truck smashed one of his feet, and later a sniper shot away his smoke. A local restoration campaign saved the giant cowpoke in 1989 when a spur tastefully replaced the dangling cigarette, and another such effort was underway as of the date of this photograph (in 2014).
Uploaded
April 17th, 2015
Embed
Share