Lucy the Elephant - Building Novelty Architecture
Buildings that resemble items or animals are very common throughout the world, but Lucy the Elephant is noted as the first example of novelty architecture. Novelty architecture is a fun way for companies to promote their brand and share with people what they do inside of the building. From teapots to the famous original Brown Derby, creating buildings that stand apart from the rest due to form imitating function is more common today; however, there was a day when Lucy the Elephant was the center of attention.
Lucy, whose original name was "Elephant Bazaar," was built in late 1881 of wood and tin by James V. Lafferty as a six-story tourist attraction for his real estate business. With a construction cost of $25,000-$38,000, Lucy was patented by Lafferty with an exclusive 17 year right to make and sell animal-shaped buildings.