Weathervane: Railroad Signalman

DateProbably 1925-1940

MediumWood, iron, copper alloy, cloth, plastic, and paint

DimensionsOverall: 34 x 30 x 7 1/2in. (86.4 x 76.2 x 19.1cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1967.700.1

DescriptionCarved wooden full-length figure of man fitted with a canvas costume having pockets, rolled-up sleeves, a belt and buckle, belt- loops, and shell buttons on the front of the shirt. Beneath the fugure, a shaped piece of sheet brass serves as a wind catcher.

Artist unidentified.
Label TextIn the early twentieth century, weather vane imagery increasingly shifted from agraian to industrial motifs, such as cars and aircraft. This vane is thought to have been used in a railroad yard in the American Southwest. It is a rare portrayal of a laborer associated with a specific industry.

The basic figure was carved from wood and carefully fitted with a canvas costume complete with pockets, rolled-up sleeves, a belt and buckle, belt-loops, and plastic buttons on the front of his shirt. Below the figure, a piece of painted sheet metal catches the wind, its gracefully cut lower edge suggesting a blowing flag. The objects once held in the man's hands are now missing; presumably they were signal flags.
ProvenanceStony Point Folk Art Gallery, Stony Point, NY.

Exhibition(s)