Barbara,

There are a number of good reproductions out there for 19th century American
weathervanes. There are far fewer 18th century reproductions. Earlier in my
conservation career I researched and conserved the original 18th century
weathervane from the courthouse of 1770 at Colonial Williamsburg. Documents
show when the weathervane was commissioned from a local blacksmith and it
appeared in early photographs taken in the 1850's and it survived the fire
of 1910 when the roof of the courthouse burned and the interior was gutted.
I did a microscopic paint study in which I found evidence of that fire in
the paint layers and that served as a marker for the earlier paint and
gilding in some areas underneath.

Your best bet is to see if there are early photos of your historic building
showing the type of weathervane that was there. You may even be able to find
an original that would be appropriate. If there is nothing specific to your
historic building then perhaps there are other historic buiIdings in the
region that have roiginal examples in situ. If not then your choices are
much more limited. If you know the approximate design and size of the
weathervane then there are a number of good blacksmiths in New England and
elsewhere who could fabricate one for you. If you do want to find a
blacksmith in your area contact me off the list and I can get some names to
you.

All Best Wishes,
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, CA




On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:18 PM, HHSDIRECTOR <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>  I'm looking for a reputable manufacturer or craftsman that makes
> weathervanes. Any recommendations?
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
>
>
> --suzanne
>
>
>
> Suzanne Buchanan, Director
>
> Hingham Historical Society
>
> P.O. Box 434
>
> Hingham, MA 02043
>
> Phone: 781-749-7721
>
> Fax: 781-749-0091
>
> http://www.hinghamhistorical.org/
>
>
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