Product Description

The first decision-making body that managed Burning Man comprised Larry Harvey and Jerry James. Larry was a landscaper, and Jerry was a professional carpenter. On June 21, 1986, Larry called his friend and proposed that they build a wooden man and burn it on a beach in San Francisco. That afternoon, they constructed the 8 ft. tall figure in a garage, then asked a few friends to help transport the statue. During the next few years, as the Burning Man gradually increased in size and the crowds at Baker Beach grew larger, several other people joined them in what came to be called the Project.

Many of these early volunteers were carpenters and people skilled in the construction trades. By 1990, Burning Man had grown to nearly 40 ft. in height, and the Project now included many members of San Francisco’s Cacophony society, a group of artists and urban pranksters devoted to creating interactive events.