Martin Maurer: Creator of Long Island's Big Duck
In 1931, local duck farmer Martin Maurer decided that the best way to sell his poultry was to build a giant concrete version of it. It was the height of the Great Depression, and drivers on Long Island were starting to explore the open roads in their new automobiles. To catch their eye, Maurer needed something big. He got exactly that: a 20-foot-tall, ferrocement mallard that would eventually change the vocabulary of American design forever. The Birth of a Roadside Legend Maurer’s unusual shop opened in Riverhead, New York, during a boom era for local agriculture. Duck farming was thriving, and the competition was fierce. By erecting a massive, hollow bird to sell eggs and meat, Maurer tapped into the growing trend of novelty architecture. Motorists could not help but pull over, captivated by the bizarre, white-painted structure staring back at them from the roadside. A Migratory Masterpiece Though built of heavy concrete and steel mesh, the giant bird proved surprisingly mobile. Over...