Father of the Plastic Flamingo Dies
24 06 15 - 07:51
Don Featherstone was an accomplished artist, but he rarely showed that side of himself to those outside his family circle. He preferred to let the world see him as the wacky, offbeat creator of the iconic pink flamingo lawn ornament. He called his creation He named it Phoenicopterus ruber plasticus, mocking one of nature's most elegant creations. His icon for suburban bliss was 1st sold at Sears, but found its way eveywhere, selling millions & millions over the years.
His early job at Union Plastics was to sculpt plastic birds for home decoration, but after his kitchy flamingo quickly became a retail hit, company profits skyrocketed, & Don's career picked up as well. Featherstone retired as President of the company in 2000.
He received many accolades & acknowledgements for his prized birds, from an Ig Nobel Prize, to John Waters' movie "Pink Flamingo", to Disney's animated movie "Gnomeo & Juliet", where the flamingo character is named Featherstone.
RIP, Don. You've done well, sir.
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