Al Borland (Richard Karn) celebrity print 1994

Summary

This concrete handprint was formerly located as a part of the iconic McEwans celebrity pavement. Between 1972 and 1994, scores of celebrities had their handprints and footprints immortalised in cement at the entrance to the McEwans hardware store on Bourke Street. The City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection acquired a number of these impressed concrete slabs from the original celebrity pavement in 2005.

"US actor Richard Karn (born 1956) played the character of Al Borland in the popular hardware-themed TV sitcom ‘Home Improvement’ (1991-99). In each episode, the plaid-shirted Borland would join his friend Tim Taylor (actor Tim Allen) to present ‘Tool Time’, a DIY parody show-within-a-show. Karn was in Melbourne in 1994 to open the first Bunnings Warehouse, at Sunshine, together with Premier Jeff Kennett." - Robyn Annear, 2023