‘Mary Anne’ at Young Brothers and Daley,  20 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing

Nothing says “yard art” like the metal steam shovel that sits outside the brickyard of Young Brothers and Daley on Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

“Mary Anne” is made of rugged steel and stands over 5 feet tall. You have to pass by it to enter Young Brothers and Daley, which today sells art and free-standing fireplaces along with hardscaping materials like brick for patios, walkways and outdoor entertainment areas.

Purchased at Scrapfest in 2015, the steam shovel is a relatively new addition to the company headquarters, which has operated out of the same building since 1893, making it one of Lansing’s oldest operating businesses.

The steam crane is a tribute to the popular children’s book from 1939, “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel,” by Virginia Lee Burton, which tells the can-do story of Mike and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, as it is being pushed out by modern diesel equipment. The sculpture is inscribed with an excerpt from the book: “Mike Mulligan: Dig Anything, Anytime, Any Place.”

“Mary Anne” was completed by a team of artists who included the brothers Brian Steve and Ed Tuckey. Also assisting were Eric Kane, Owen Tuckey and Spencer Wertz, artists from Charlotte and Williamston. 

Young Brothers and Daley has a photographic look at its history at ybdonline.com.