Clarus, the Dogcow : Moof Museum

1993 - 1998
Apple Icon Garden

Author: Apple Inc. and Cupertino : 1993 - 1998

In 1993, Apple just finished to build it's Apple R&D Campus at De Anza Plaza, Cupertino CA, this location became "Infinite Loop".

Apple installed sculptures in the Apple R&D Campus.
Those sculpture celebrated 8 icons from original Mac System. The original Dogcow from Cairo font was here, but also other famous icon from MacOS and MacPaint (all design by Susan Kare)

Those sculptures were part of a deal between Apple Inc. and Cupertino Chamber of Commerce make in 1990 to make Apple Inc. more "envolved towards the community and Public Art".

According to Tom Clark (Apple Inc. in 1996) Clarus was approximatively 6' height and 12' long (1,8 x 3,6 meters).

From 1993 to 1998, Apple Campus Garden become a tourist attraction and many took pictures of them with the Dogcow (see below). The Clarus icon has been hijacked at least 2 times (see below) in 1994 and 1996.

But in 1998, Apple removed the sculptures, without clear explanations (some rumored sculptures needs repairs).
At the same moment the internal Apple Museum was also closed (all material gave to Standford University, but not the sculptures), and the Campus was reorganized.

Apparently It was a Steve Jobs decision "Let's go invent tomorrow rather than worry about what happened yesterday", after it return to Apple Inc.

Icon Garden has long gone now.

Related links :

• Jory's Apple Icon Garden Adventures, a virtual tour of the garden in 1996 (pictures and QTVR), see below except.
• Where is the Dogcow ? pictures Kennel took on may 1998 just after Apple removed the sculptures, Dogcow place was... empty.
• "Doggone ! Icon are axed" MacWorld UK 1999 (archive)
• "Apple and city agree: corporation will increase involvement", Cupertino Courrier on february 9, 2000 (via archive.org)
• "Where did Apple's Icon Garden sculptures go after the garden was decommisionned ?" a question on Quora with some answers...
• JoyOfTech comics #593 made a joke about Icon Garden restored by Woz during Steve Jobs hospitalisation in april 1999
• A detailed map with the location of the Icon Garden (OpenStreetMap)
• The same location now (Google Street View)

Find below :

• Jory's AppelIcon Adventure (1988)
• Where is Dogcow ? (1998)
• Clarus visitors gallery

Hijacking Clarus :

• Imaginery Quest (1994 April fool at Icon Garden)
• Arnold leash Clarus (1996)

1996
Jory's Apple Icon Garden Adventure

Jory visit Apple Icon Garden in 1996 and made a gallery ot if, including a QTVR movie. It's the most known photo gallery of the Icon Garden.

1998
Where is Dogcow ?

On 30th may 1998, Kennel go to the Apple Icon Garden and found... nothing. Icons where just removed, and will never come back.

1993 - 1998
Visitors Gallery

Many people took picture of them in from of Giant Clarus at Cupertino.

1994

Imaginary Quest (Hack)

We found this picture somewhere on the web (the url do not exist anymore, archive via wayback archives : http://www.mlcsmith.com/done/dogcow/).

First we thought it was a joke (a retouched photo, it was called "Imaginery Quest") until we found an obscure message from Tom Clark (an ex-Apple employee) that confirm (on august 1996 on fegmaniax forum) the story : a giant (pixelated) hurd has been put beside clarus on april 1st 1994, the hurd stay 4 days before beeing removed...

Hommage to Matthew and Dave.

Moof!

1996 or 1997

Arnold leash Clarus (Hack)

Jim Trudeau bring us an anecdote from Metrowerks staff envolving Clarus, Apple, Metrowerks and a leash...

In 1996 after the WWDC, some Metrowerks employee with some Apple employee (mainly ex-bluemeanies) build a giant Arnold (2 meters, styrofoam) figure they put at night in the Icon Garden beside Clarus and add a leash to Clarus ; so that Arnold leash Clarus.

At that time Metrowerks was a compagny that build CodeWarrior IDE for Macintosh (an important software that help Apple during the 68K to PPC transition). Arnold (or Ah! Nold) was the mascot of Metrowerks company, design by Bill Russel.

The rumors inside Metrowerks told that they sent a note to Steve Jobs, in return Metrowerks received a polite answer asking Metrowerks to remove ASAP "your property" or it would be destroyed... If this part of the story is true, the action take place in 1997 (Steve Jobs went back to Apple in 1997).

The Icon Garden was removed in 1998.

1999

Apple icon Garden

Author : Dave Brasgala - 1999

Source : Icon Factory

Dave build a 8 isometric icons set (publish on Icon Factory) celebrating the defunct Icon Garden.