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)
1825-1850 (possibly)
1875-1900
Possibly 1900-1925
1850-1880
1875-1900
1850-1900
1850-1875
1875-1900
1819-1829
Probably 1900-1925
Probably 1875-1900
Possibly 1900-1925