Occupations & Avocations Weathervanes

In early Colonial times, a weathervane atop a business would depict the type of work done at that establishment. A shipwright might display a sailing ship weathervane, and a litigator might display a quill. George Washington displayed a gold leafed dove weathervane at Mt. Vernon, perhaps inspired by his aspirations for his newly fledged country. The tradition of displaying weathervanes to indicate one’s profession or avocation continues to this day. We have weathervanes based on characters in author’s books, portrait weathervanes of skilled craftsmen, artists and sports figures to name but a few. Click on the thumbnails below to read the in depth stories of these vanes and how they came to be. We are in the process of adding all 800 existing weathervane designs to our site. Rest assured that if you don’t see an old favorite here yet, we still have it! Just give us a call 831.425.5505 for details.