Art Institute of Chicago

Running Horse Weather Vane

Alvin L. Jewell (American, 1821–1867)

Date

c. 1860

Medium

Copper, lead or zinc, and gilding

Culture

Waltham

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.