Atlas Statue

Anchorage, Alaska

We have seen Atlas, the titan strong man of Greek mythology, shouldering the heavy planet of commerce in a number of places. Perhaps the most unusual was a fur store in downtown Anchorage. The retail building dated from 1962, and in 1974 Atlas was placed atop the roof, holding up a giant wire frame sphere wrapped in a "Fur Factory" sign. The owners occasionally outfitted him in fur accessories, such as a mukluk and a jock strap.

But four decades of Anchorage weather made the titan weary and worn. in the summer of 2016 he was was sold by the fur factory. Cranes plucked Atlas off of the roof, he was given a power washing and a fresh coat of paint, and a flatbed truck then hauled him to his new home: the parking lot of an Anchorage gym.