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Lens-Artists Challenge #278 – Unique

The SPAM Museum.

This week it’s Amy’s turn to host the challenge. Her challenge is unique… no, really, it is Unique. She writes, “We hope you will join us and share your findings, such as the uniqueness of a plant, artwork, culture, architecture, scenery, or places you have visited.” You can read the entire challenge post here.

In Austin, Minnesota there is a museum that is dedicated to that much-maligned canned meat product called SPAM. Truth is, it’s a very popular product manufactured by Minnesota’s Hormel Foods Corporation. One of my favorite meals features diced SPAM, however, it’s a secret family recipe… but I digress. Anyway, the SPAM Museum tells the story of the product that first came off Hormel’s production line in 1937. The product has been sold in 41 countries on six continents, Monty Python’s comedic tribute to SPAM notwithstanding.

Radio Flyer wagon.

A bit of Americana can be found at Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington. The Radio Flyer metal wagon was created by an Italian Immigrant. The all-metal version that is depicted by a giant sculpture in Riverfront Park was first produced in 1930 and sold by the thousands for $3 each during the Great Depression. The actual size of the sculpture can be gauged by the size of the adults and children in the image.

Basketball court.

What’s so unique about this basketball court? Well, to start with, it’s tucked between hotel rooms on the third floor of the Graduate Hotel in Chapel Hill North Carolina. Secondly, the court is actually a carpet and those basketballs are covered in carpet as well. This hotel is a great place to stay for those insomniacs who feel the need to dunk a few basketballs in the middle of the night.

Robotic server.

So this image may be unique now, but if the food service employee shortage continues, I expect robotic servers won’t be unique for much longer. When the waiter places an order, he or she notes the table location on the virtual ticket. When the order is complete the chef or assistant loads the dishes onto the robot and sends it out for delivery. The robot knows the map of the restaurant and stops as near as possible to the table. The waiter then delivers the dishes to the customers.

The Tin Family.

I’ve featured images of the Enchanted Highway in western North Dakota before, but that stretch of highway with sculpture stops along the way is certainly unique. The sculptures are all created using scrap metal. You can gauge their size by noting the fence in the background. Those fence posts are probably about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.

Cargo ship simulator.

As we traveled through Mobile Alabama we decided to visit the Gulfquest Maritime Museum, the only museum solely focused on the historical, cultural, and economic significance of the Gulf of Mexico. What I found most interesting and unique, though, is the cargo ship simulator inside the museum. The simulator is designed to train cargo ship personnel, but this installation allows museum visitors to spend ten minutes learning some basics of maneuvering giant cargo ships in the harbor. Or, like me, to choose to captain a smaller vessel with navigation assistance from the first mate. On that giant screen, we toured Mobile Bay as we sailed into the harbor, the first mate acting as our tour guide. No, I didn’t collide with either of the two giant cargo ships that passed us going outbound into the Gulf of Mexico.

For those who like to pixel-peep or note exposure details and other metadata, you’ll find 2K HD versions of these photos on my Flickr site here. A big thanks to Amy for this week’s challenge. Next week it’s Ann-Christine’s turn. If you’d like to join in the challenge each week and aren’t sure how to get started, check out this page.

John Steiner

38 comments

  1. Oh spam! Talk to the average English person of my generation, and we’d rather go hungry than countenance eating the stuff. School dinner spam fritters, which shot a jet of grease into your eye as you plunged a fork in … just … NO!

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  4. I’m with Margaret on the subject of Spam, it featured in too many not very nice childhood meals! But I’d be sort-of curious to visit the museum 😉 That ship simulator however sound much more fun, I’d love a go on that!

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    • See my comments to Margaret. I have memories of SPAM in my background as well. 🙂

      I did enjoy sailing around the virtual harbor on that simulator. Our 10-minute time limit went by much too quickly.

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  5. What great examples of unique(ness). I especially love the basketball court in the hotel. But the robot server has to be a great example also.

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  6. Creative examples, John. SPAM…to think they have a museum is fun, and funny. We have some Hawaiian friends who say everyone loves it, and keeps it on hand.Interesting . When I saw the basketball court, I was thinking my grandsons would be in heaven to stay in one of those rooms.Truly a unique space. And I love the robot servers. In the facility where my mom stays, there are two robots that deliver food, and they even talk. Not conversational, but serving phrases. To think of all the residences who are in their 80’s this was an amazing addition to their days. When they were kids they couldn’t even dream that up. Fantastic examples.

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  7. Excellent choices for the unique theme, John! Spam has been sold in 41 countries… I didn’t know that. The basketball court is carpet and those basketballs… how cool. The first time we were serviced by the Robotic server was a year and half ago in Dallas; and place order on you app, refreshing. I love the Tin Family. the Maritime Museum sounds really interesting. Thank you, John!

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  10. Great, unique post John! I always brought Spam along on camping trips when my kids were young and they loved it. It was a treat because I never served it at home. The robotic server is amazing. I wonder how much time and money the restaurant owner saves by using the robot.

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  13. These are great examples, John. We’ve been to the SPAM museum and it’s fascinating!! My mom loved Spam and I know that in Hawaii it’s very popular. I found the information about how it came about quite interesting. That huge wagon is cool as is the basketball court carpet.

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  14. Very interesting post, as always, John. Definitely not into the spam folder. 😊
    Despite its reputation, spam has been copied around the world.
    Truth be told, I’d rather have spam than robotic servers.

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  15. What a fun and interesting post John – loved all your choices but I think the wagon was my favorite. We had one as kids of course. Also loved the idea of a spam museum. Have never tasted it but when I lived in Philadelphia it was BIG there!!! Terrific post – glad you didn’t crash the boat😊

    Reply

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