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All Spain Guadalajara Osborne Bull

Osborne Bull

Originally used to sell brandy, the bull-shaped billboard became an iconic symbol of Spain.

Guadalajara, Spain

Added By
Luis Morato
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An Osborne bull among poppies.   Public Domain
An Osborne bull among poppies.   Public Domain
Osborne bull in Alicante.   Kokoo/CC BY 2.5
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
Osborne bull in Valdemoro south of Madrid   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Bull in Cabezas de San Juan.   Grez/CC BY-SA 3.0
A bull near Seville   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
The one in Guadalajara   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  Archimedes / Atlas Obscura User
Osborne bull in Requena near to Valencia   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
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About

When driving along the roads of Spain, you'll occasionally glimpse the shape of a massive black bull. The large silhouette was originally designed to advertise a brandy, but over the years it’s become an iconic symbol of Spain.

The Osborne sherry company, founded in 1772, began erecting large bull-shaped billboards in the 1950s to advertise its Brandy de Jerez. The black silhouettes were emblazoned with the name "Veterano" in bright red. The billboards are distributed throughout the Spanish landscape.

The Osborne bull, or Toro de Osborne, stands proudly alongside roads and on hilltops, cutting the horizon with its mighty shape. Despite the initial function, over time the bull has transcended the commercial brand and become a cultural symbol of Spain.

This design was created by Manolo Prieto, an artist who became general manager of the advertising company in 1956. In 1994, the general road regulations ordered the withdrawal of all billboards, but artists, politicians, and journalists fought to keep the bulls. That same year the Spanish Parliament declared the signs to be important icons of Spain’s cultural and artistic heritage.

There are currently about 90 or so Osborne bulls distributed irregularly around the country. The largest concentration is located around Jerez, where Osborne’s cellars are located. The rest are scattered throughout the Spanish geography.

Related Tags

Alcohol Roads Animals Design Shops

Know Before You Go

The above coordinates and address point to an Osborne bull that stands above Highway A-2 in Guadalajara.

Community Contributors

Added By

Luis Morato

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey, Michael Inscoe, Archimedes, Xavixavir...

  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • Michael Inscoe
  • Archimedes
  • Xavixavir
  • mocchiatto

Published

December 28, 2017

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  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toro_de_Osborne
Osborne Bull
Camino de Labores
Guadalajara
Spain
40.626175, -3.184928
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