Running Horse Weather Vane

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Before the advent of modern mechanized devices, weather vanes were an important source of information on shifting weather conditions. The horse shape was common; in fact, weather vanes often memorialized famous racehorses. The elegant simplicity of this example is characteristic of the works of Alvin L. Jewell, one of the most important 19th-century weather vane designers. At his metal manufacturing firm, A. L. Jewell and Company, Jewell invented a molding process so that he could mass-produce his handcrafted work. In this example, Jewell made the head of a solid, heavier metal, so the weather vane would balance properly and point toward the wind’s source. Jewell’s innovative manufacturing and advertising methods helped to change the growing American weather vane industry.

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