Weather vanes helpful & attractive
The recent hurricanes show how important rain and wind are to everyday life, and that has long been the case.
Weather vanes tell the direction of the wind and aid in forecasting. The earliest known was used in 48 B.C. in Greece. It was a halfman, half-fish god.
The first American weather vane was used in Albany, New York, in 1656. But the best-known is a rooster put on a Boston building in 1742.
By the 1800s, weather vanes were featured on many roofs as decorations as well as useful additions. The Goddess Liberty and the American eagle were popular designs, as were racehorses.
A Fiske & Co. “American Girl” horse weather vane, made of molded copper, sold for $18,500 at an auction.
Q: When did Judith Leiber start making her jeweled purses? I have my mother’s, which looks like books.
A: Judith Leiber purses were first made in 1963. She sold the company and name in 1993 but continued designing until 2004. Her jeweled handbags in great condition sell for hundreds of dollars. The books purse has sold for $700.
Current prices
Prices recorded from throughout the U.S.
■ Boot sole, aluminum, cleats, rivet holes on rim, Overland Shoe Co., marked, c. 1916, 10 inches, $165
■ Jack-o’-lantern candy container, glass pumpkin with orange metal lid, c. 1905, 4 x 4 inches, $205
■ Cane, shark spine vertebrae, ivory handle, monogram, wood ferrule, c. 1900, 37 inches, $210
■ Captain Marvel ring, compass, rocket raider, lighting bolt, brass, enamel, adjustable, c. 1946, $253
■ Teddy bear, gold velvet velour, wood-shaving stuffing, jointed eyes, German, Gottfried Kraeber “Gokra,” c. 1945, 18 inches, $795