Big Tex

Big Tex is the 52 foot (16 m) high icon of the annual State Fair of Texas held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. He wears size 70 boots, a 75 gallon hat, a size 100 180/181 shirt and 284W/185L XXXXXL pair of Lee jeans. The pants alone require 72 yards (66 m) of denim and weigh in at 65 pounds (29.5 kg).

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Big Tex's humble beginnings were in 1949 as a 49 foot (15 m) tall Santa Claus constructed from iron-pipe drill casing and papier mache in Kerens, Texas to help encourage holiday sales in the town. In 1951, State Fair president R. L. Thornton purchased Santa's components for $750 and had Dallas artist Jack Bridges transform them into a cowboy, and Big Tex was born. Big Tex currently has fiberglass "skin."

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Big Tex made his grand debut at the 1952 fair. He was altered the following year to straighten his nose, correct a lascivious wink and allow him to talk. Former disc jockey Al Jones was the first voice of Big Tex, but would fill the role for only one season. His most familiar voice is that of radio announcer, Jim Lowe, who boomed Big Tex's signature "Howdy, folks!" for a total of 39 years.

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In 1958, Tex underwent further re-design, bringing him closer to the look of today. The next year, a mechanism was installed that allowed his mouth to move in sync with the announcer's voice. In 1997, Big Tex was given a skeletal makeover including a new hand that waved to passersby . Three years later, his head was animated that allowed it to turn.

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State Fair of Texas: The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas. The fair season usually begins towards the end of September and ends in the middle of October. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. Big Tex, a 52-foot tall cowboy, has been the symbol o...

Dallas, Texas: Dallas is the third-largest city within the State of Texas, ninth in the United States, and together with Fort Worth and the Mid-Cities form the largest metropolitan economic area in the south-central United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Dallas had a total population of 1.1 million (est. ...

Denim: Denim, in American usage since the late 18th century, denotes a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two (twi- "double") or more warp fibers, producing the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim wa...

Big Tex related Images and Photos (experimental)

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