The Whale Car Wash was a distinctive roadside attraction located at North 50th Street and Meridian Avenue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This gem of a car wash was built around 1970. It was made to look like a large blue whale with a cute little spout of water coming out of the top of its head.
Photographer John Margolies captured this iconic image of The Whale Car Wash in 1979, which is now preserved in the Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division. Sadly, the Whale Car wash was demolished years ago.This kind of novelty architecture of the time is rare to come by nowadays.
It fills me with sadness when I hear that a cute piece of novelty architecture was torn down. I wish there were more whale shaped car washes. I'd feel much more motivated to wash my car if I could take it here!
See also: Earthquakes? In Oklahoma? It's more likely than you think.
