Leaflet telling 'The Story of the Great Cardiff Giant: the Great American Hoax', which was on display at Charles Street Carnival, Cardiff, July 1987

Description

An A4 leaflet telling 'The Story of the Cardiff Giant: the Great American Hoax' and advertising that "The Great Giant, discovered at Cardiff, Onondaga Co. N.Y. is now on Exhibition at the Charles Street Carnival For One Day Only, July 4th, 1987." The Giant exhibited at the Carnival was made by Terry Chinn and presented by Seven Wonder Arts. The image shows the front cover. Research and text for the leaflet was by Allan Herbert. This first A4 page gives the dimensions of the giant, and begins to tell the history of the Giant.

The Cardiff Giant was a well-known hoax. It was a gypsum model, over ten foot tall, that was buried and then ‘discovered’ at a farm outside of the hamlet of Cardiff in New York State, USA. It was displayed in a museum in New York City “in time to capitalise on the Christmas shopping crowds”. Terry Chinn thought it would be fun to recreate the hoax for the Charles Street Festival in Cardiff, Wales. Apparently many people believed that the genuine story of the hoax was itself a hoax!

Terry Chinn completed his teenage engineering apprenticeship making fairground rides in Neath. He studied art at Swansea Institute and then at the Wimbledon School of Art, within the Theatre Design Department. His first professional design job was at the Vic Theatre in Stoke between 1994 and 2004. He set up the Quality of Life Arts Project and The Mill Lane Artists' Studios in Cardiff City Centre. He is now based in Pontypridd.

In June 1977, Cardiff Community Concern started the Charles Street Carnival as a community groups' alternative celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. It became an annual event and grew into a separate organisation - Charles Street Arts. Cardiff Community Concern was an alternative advice and information service for young people founded by Ian Horsburgh, an employee of the City of Cardiff Planning and Development Department. It was based in 58 Charles Street.

The private collection of Ian Horsburgh
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