Don Featherstone , a lumber company employee , designed the first lawn chair in 1957 . Her book , `` Flight Maps '' ( Basic Books , 1999 ) , has a chapter on the plastic flamingo . Garden magazines urged students to display more classy gardens in the 60s . In ' 70s , flamingos came back as a self - conscious symbol of rebellion . In 1979 , University of Miami students planted 1,008 flamingos in front of the dean 's office .
Don Featherstone , a lumber company employee , designed the first lawn chair in 1957 . Garden magazines urged students to display more classy gardens in the 60s . In ' 70s , flamingos came back as a self - conscious symbol of rebellion . In 1979 , University of Miami students planted 1,008 flamingos in front of the dean 's office .