Pink Flamingo Lawn Ornaments - An Enduring American Art Icon

Pink flamingo lawn ornaments have been around since 1957, when Union Products designer Don Featherstone invented them.

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Little did Don nor anyone else know about the enduring popularity and place in American art and folklore these plastic flamingos would attain. Over 40 years later, pink flamingo lawn ornaments are selling as briskly as ever, and they have even expanded their sphere of usage.

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For example, one great niche these pink birds have found is for fundraisers. What they'll do is to place a whole bunch of pink flamingos on a potential donor's front lawn, and offer to remove the flock for a fee. When the donor pays up, he gets to choose the next "victim". There are other twists to this theme, such as offering insurance so as not to get "flocked". Some of these fundraisers are quite highly organized, and can be extremely successful. Often the placing of the dozen or so birds on a potential donor's front lawn is accompanied by a sign stating that they have just been flocked.

And just to show how the popularity of plastic flamingos endures, as recently as 2009 the city of Madison Wisconsin named the plastic flamingo as its official city bird.

Pink flamingo lawn ornaments are also popular with college students to use as pranks, although we will not offer any suggestions. Mostly however, they are in use as a kitschy front or back lawn decoration, and are also very popular as gifts.

The original Don Featherstone model is still obtainable -- you'll know it from the fact that it is sold in pairs with one bird upright and the other bending down as if feeding. But the essential mark is Don's signature on the under side of the rear of the birds.

Of course there are many imitations on the market, which is a good thing because the Don Featherstone pairs are a little pricey. In fact, in 2006 Union Products announced it was closing its doors due to the rising cost of materials. Many feared that this was the end of the famous Don Featherstone design, which is still regarded as the ultimate in pink plastic flamingos. To the delight of the Don Featherstone loyal, the copyright and plastic molds of the original Featherstone design was purchased by HMC International in 2007, and production is expected to resume.

Although the Don Featherstone design remains the ultimate in kitschy plastic flamingos, many are looking for a more affordable option, especially if one is just looking for some party decorations. Fortunately you can find these pink plastic birds in many sizes and price ranges.

Pink Flamingo Lawn Ornaments - An Enduring American Art Icon

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