Ivar Feeding the Gulls Time Capsule - Seattle, WA
N 47° 36.230 W 122° 20.325
10T E 549702 N 5272480
This statue and time capsule is located in front of the famous Ivar's Restaurant & Fish Bar at Pier 54, along Alaskan Way in the Seattle Waterfront District.
Waymark Code: WMG3VE
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/08/2013
Views: 11
Visitors strolling along Seattle's Waterfront might notice a statue of an older man feeding gulls french fries. The statue depicts
Ivar Hagland (Wikipedia link), a folksinger and restaurateur who started his first
restaurant and fish bar right next to this statue that depicts him. The title of this statue has an underlying meaning. After reading Ivar's bio it was discovered that he had a small rivalry with a fellow pier neighbor who put up signs discouraging people from feeding the gulls because of a health regulation. Ivar took this as a challenge and put up his own signs ENCOURAGING people to feed the gulls! So in many ways, this statue accurately depicts Ivar's persona and most likely what you would find him doing on a typical day, feeding the seagulls.
I also discovered that underneath this statue is a time capsule. There is a description on the bronze chair regarding this time capsule that reads:
IVAR FEEDING
THE GULLS
Many friends of Ivar Haglund, Seattle waterfront folk hero, contributed, in public subscription, to the placement of this sculpture. Their names are recorded in a time capsule under the captain's chair. (followed by a list of names) unsigned Founder's mark appears.
The time capsule is a centennial celebration capsule and filled with rare Ivar's artifacts and predictions for the future by Seattle citizens. The capsule is displayed as a countdown to the restaurant chain's 100-year celebration in 2038. The web link to a picture of the clam-shaped time capsule is here.
This sculpture was created by artist Richard S. Beyer in 1988. (Mr. Beyer passed away April 12, 2012 at 86 years of age). He made over 90 sculptures in his lifetime, his most well-known sculpture being People Waiting For the Interurban which is located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.