Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
Another reason for the scarceness of weather vanes could be a product of another age-old device – the windmill.
In Oklahoma, where weather takes center stage six months out of the year, one would think weather vanes would be treasured. But to those who make their homes on Okie red dirt, interest in collecting them is tepid.
“Oklahoma has long been a state dominated by agriculture. One of the most common tools of farmers and ranchers is a windmill to provide supplemental water to their cattle,” said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. “Windmills are of course designed to function like a weather vane and turn into the wind to produce the most power. If you have windmills dotting the countryside, and being at a very visible height, then perhaps there was not a need for weather vanes.”
One reason for the ho-hum response could be the sheer rarity of authentic, antique weather vanes.
Weathering the ages Weather vanes have long been the subject of legend and lore. The earliest known weather vane dates back to ancient Greece in the first century B.C. Greek Architect Andronicus capped his Tower of Winds in Athens
The rooster atop the church steeple got its official sanction in the 9th century A.D. when the Pope decreed that every church should mount a weathercock to recall Jesus’ prophesy that Peter would deny his Lord three times before the cock crowed. In America, weather vanes in New England were commonplace and have even played a role in history. George Washington marked the end of the Revolutionary War by commissioning by Joseph Rakestraw of Philadelphia to fashion a weather vane to be placed atop of his Mount Vernon home. It was created in the likeness of a dove carrying an olive branch, or a Dove of Peace. According to Mount Vernon lore, this weather vane was finished in 1787 while Washington was CONTINUED on PAGE 22
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“You don’t see antique weather vanes that often from Oklahoma,” said John Dunning, owner of Western Trail Trading Post, 9100 N. Western Ave. in Oklahoma City. “I have seen them around Oklahoma in my traveling over the last 50 years. When I was 10, my dad and I would always go to little towns where you’d see them quite often. They’ve just been taken down and people have stolen them. It’s just rare to find one. Mostly today they are in private collections or museums.”
with a bronze Triton featuring the head and torso of a man and the body of a fish. to see weather vanes created in the likenesses of Greek gods, such as Hermes, Mercury and Boreas.
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presiding over the Constitutional For custom weather vane-maker Convention. The original Edwin Waskiewicz in Westfield, remains at Mount Vernon today. Mass., requests are a bit more colorful. Thomas Jefferson developed an experimental weather vane with a shaft that ran through the roof and into the room below. An indicator was attached at both ends so that the wind direction could be check from the inside. One of America’s most noted weather vanes was crafted in 1742 by the country’s first weather-vane maker, Deacon Shem Drowne. Grasshoppers symbolize money, so Drowne created a grasshopper to sit atop Boston’s Faneuil Hall in recognition of the grasshopper vane at the London Royal Exchange. It still perches on the building’s cupola.
Grasshopper weather vane atop Faneuil in Boston.
“In the custom end of the business, there’s always something new and different,” he said. The most unusual would have to be one I made for a woman who asked me to make a make (a depiction) of the famous Marilyn Monroe photo standing over a street vent. But the twist is, she wanted her face on it. “I just got an email the other day from someone who is interested in having me make a saddled trout with a rider.”
In a new vane For those who just like the look and charm of weather vanes and are not interested in collecting antiques, the sky’s the limit. Depending on the materials and the manufacturing process, new weather vanes can cost anywhere from $75 to $3,000 or more.
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In Oklahoma, however, wind is a special challenge, Schwartz said. “Normally we will only put a weather vane on top of a cupola because it needs extra bracing. We’ve done a lot of repair work on others when they don’t have the proper bracing. There’s a lot that are falling over,” he said. Locally, Schwartz said golfers and roosters are the most popular weather vanes he sells. Washington’s Dove of Peace weather vane at Mount Vernon.
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“Most people want them just for the look – a country look, said Russell Schwartz of Custom Copper in Oklahoma City. “We ship everywhere. We get a lot of requests from Down South … New York, and everywhere else.”
mission kitchen By Danielle Robinson CTW Features
W Plan and de-clutter
First things first: You only have one weekend, so develop a strategy. “Plan ahead so everything is on-site at your fingertips,” says Lou Ann Bauer, owner of Bauer Design, San Francisco. “Collect design ideas, make selections and
ABOVE | Hangin’ tough: Take advantage of unused space by hanging a ceiling rack to display your pots, pans and the appropriate utensils. Image courtesy of Sur La Table
get them to your house so they’re ready to go.” Once you’ve done that, tidy up. “Clean all the clutter off the countertops,” Bauer says. “Take everything out of the kitchen and just bring back essentials. The rest goes to the next garage sale.”
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ant to update the kitchen but don’t think you have enough time or money? Well, think again. Follow these designer tips for a quick kitchen facelift. You won’t believe your eyes (or your wallet).
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