Scrape It Off, Scrape It Off

Alan Taylor
November 11, 2015
14 Photos
In Focus

On a wall in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, thousands of pounds of chewing gum have built up over the past 20 years, stuck there by locals and visitors, eventually becoming a tourist attraction on its own. This week, the millions of gum wads are being scraped and steam-cleaned away, in a move to preserve the historic buildings, according to a story in The Seattle Times. The Times also reports that the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority plans to weigh the removed gum before throwing it out. There are apparently no plans to prevent the gum wall from returning once the cleaning is complete.

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Fernando Soberania uses a tool to scrape layers of gum from Seattle's famous "gum wall" at Pike Place Market on November 10, 2015. Tourists and locals have been sticking their used chewing gum on the walls of a section of Post Alley for the past 20 years, and although the walls will be cleaned down to bare brick, officials expect the gum-sticking tradition will quickly return. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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The gum wall, photographed on April 11, 2012. #

Stuart Westmorland / Corbis

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Jessica Wang, left, and Michael Teylan, both of Los Angeles, use a selfie stick at Seattle's gum wall at Pike Place Market, on November 9, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Visitors check out Seattle's gum wall at Pike Place Market, on November 9, 2015, the day before cleaning was set to begin. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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A closer shot of part of the gum wall in Seattle’s Post Alley. #

Philip James Corwin / Corbis

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A corner of the famous gum wall, photographed on May 29, 2010. #

Michele Westmorland / Corbis

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A penny is stuck to layers of gum in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, on November 9, 2015. Besides gum, people leave pictures, business cards, and other mementos. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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A worker uses a high-temperature pressure washer to clean layers of gum from the gum wall, on November 10, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Fernando Soberania uses a tool to scrape layers of gum from the wall, on November 10, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Old gum drips off a ledge as a worker uses a powerful steam cleaner to clean decades of gum off the wall that stretches behind and above him, on November 10, 2015. #

Elaine Thompson / AP

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A worker uses a high-temperature pressure washer to clean away layers of gum on November 10, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Fernando Soberania works to remove layers of gum at Pike Place Market, on November 10, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Javier Ramirez uses a high-temperature pressure washer to remove decades of gum on November 10, 2015. #

Ted S. Warren / AP

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Workers use powerful steam cleaners to clean decades of gum off the famous gum wall in Seattle on November 10, 2015. #

Elaine Thompson / AP

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