What became of Chicago's cows in the Loop?

[thegoodolddays]

It's been a long time since the Cows were on display. Did some rustler round them all up? Will they ever be replaced, perhaps w another type of statue? Maybe by colorful Velociraptors and/or other dino's?

Think of the tourists it would draw, the dollars that would pump up the local economy, it might even get politicians to retract the 10.25% sales tax back down to what it was before the increase.

[h.sapiens]

I believe most, if not all, were auctioned for charity. I don't know which charities benefited, though.

There have been other, similar displays in Chicago, but not as popular as the cows. One or two years after the Summer of the Cows, there were fiberglass sofas with decorative painting. Nothing for a few years, though, AFAIK.

My own town of Oak Park, just west of Chicago has had pigs, carousel horses, and this year there are rain barrels around town.

[C K Dexter Haven]

My recollection is that many/most were bought, and the money went to various charities. However, that's just gut feel.

I'm moving this thread to the Chicago Straight Dope Boards, in hopes that you'll find more responses from folks who might know.

[gotpasswords]

Cows On Parade^TM has mooved on...

This page indicates the charities were designated by each cow's creator.

More than half were sold or auctioned. The rest were either reclaimed by their artists or moved to private displays in lobbies and plazas.

[scotticohn]

Originally Posted by gotpasswords

More than half were sold or auctioned. The rest were either reclaimed by their artists or moved to private displays in lobbies and plazas.

Do you have any suggestions about who I might try to contact about getting pictures of some of these cows in their current locations?

[scotticohn]

(By that, I mean if the current location is in Chicago. I understand some were shipped far and wide.)

I guess what I'm asking is: Has anyone seen one of these cows anywhere lately? LOL

[Tim R. Mortiss]

There is one at Dickens and Clark Streets. It's on a balcony on the south side of the building on the northeast corner of the intersection, overlooking Dickens.

There's also a bronze one (might not be one of the originals) at the south entrance to the Chicago Cultural Center.

I think I've seen others; I'll post if I remember more of them......TRM

P.S. - there was a book published back in the day, showing many of the cows in their original locations.

[gotpasswords]

Originally Posted by scotticohn

Do you have any suggestions about who I might try to contact about getting pictures of some of these cows in their current locations?

Best I can find is where they were. At least they have pics of them in their original spots.

http://www.chicagotraveler.com/cowmasterlist.htm

[TubaDiva]

You can still see one of the cows at the "Rock and Roll" Days Inn on Diversey.

See here: http://www.daysinnchicago.net/thehotel/index.cfm

[Drewg]

There's also one in the UIC Pharmacy sunken medicinal garden near the SE corner of Polk and Wood, just off the Pink Line stop. Either that or in the lobby of the Pharmacy building just south of that. I used to go through there all the time and it was moved from one spot to the other.

[scotticohn]

You guys RULE! Thanks a ton!

I needed to know where I can find a cow or cows today, so I can take a picture and people who read the book know where they can see one of the cows now, if they want to.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

Let's see if this works..... Here is a link to a photo of the Cow in the "Rock and Roll" Days Inn on Diversey......TRM

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

[scotticohn]

That's great, Tim! I will need to go take my own picture because the publisher wants raw digital camera shots (300 dpi at 6 inches across, at least 1800 pixels). I am supposed to physically go to the places, events, etc. that I write about.

But I like this cow quite a lot. Thanks, TubaDiva, for helping me locate it.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

Here's the cow at Clark and Dickens....

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

[scotticohn]

In 2000 a bunch of the cows were loaned out to a "Cows on Vacation" exhibit in Beaufort, South Carolina! The website tells who loaned each cow, thereby revealing who owned the cow as of 2000.

http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org...si/gallery.htm

[Tabithina]

This summer I saw one of the cows at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum in St. Joseph, MO. I don't have link to the actual cow, but I think it is part of their permanent collection. We have family in the Chicago area and got to see the cows back when they were in the Loop, so it was pretty cool to see where one of them ended up.