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Giant Statue of the Princess Pocahontas

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1958. Nielsen's Souvenirs, on Iowa 3, just east of the city limits

The architectural glory of Pocahontas is to be found on Iowa 3 just east of the city limits. This is Nielsen's Souvenirs (1958). A 25-foot statue of the maiden Pocahontas beseeches us to come into her nearby tipi to purchase souvenirs of the place. This is unquestionably one of Iowa's major monuments of programmatic architecture.

This steel and wood frame sculpture, sheathed in concrete, was created for local businessman Frank W. Shaw. It was designed by W. C. Ballard, who also designed the sculptural figures of the giant muskie and Paul Bunyan's sweetheart in Minnesota.

Writing Credits

Author: 
David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim
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Data

Citation

David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim, "Giant Statue of the Princess Pocahontas", [Pocahontas, Iowa], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IA-01-NO270.

Print Source

Buildings of Iowa, David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, 428-428.

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