A 114-year old weathervane in the shape of a steam locomotive has been returned to state authorities in Vermont after specialists at Sotheby’s in New York determined it have been stolen during provenance research.
The elaborate and finely detailed weathervane, created in 1910, once sat atop the train station in White River Junction, but was nabbed on 3 November 1983 by enterprising thieves with, apparently, minimal fear of heights. The theft was recorded in a 1984 edition of the International Foundation of Art Research’s (IFAR) Stolen Art Alert, which was later included in the Art Loss Register’s (ALR) official database. The ALR is a UK-based organisation that reviews auction house databases for stolen items.
An image of the weathervane Vermont Agency of Transportation
Almost 40 years after its theft, the antique weathervane, which was created by W.A. Snow Iron Works, a Boston-based ornamental iron company that reached the height of its powers in the early 20th century, was consigned to Sotheby’s auction house in New York, where it was subject to a routine search against the ALR database and confirmed a match for a stolen item. By comparing the patinated surface caused by weathering on the side of the coal tender and train engine with pictures from the database, experts ascertained that this was indeed the missing Vermont weathervane in question, according to Vermont Public.
Once confirmed, the item was withdrawn from sale and plans were put in motion to facilitate its return. According to a statement from the Vermont Agency of Transportation, Sotheby’s paid the $2,300 cost to ship the weathervane to the Green Mountain state.
State authorities in Vermont now own and operate the White River Junction station, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation is now working with them to pick the best possible venue for the historic object’s display.
"We are delighted to see this valuable historic artifact and beautiful piece of art returned to its home here in Vermont," Judith Ehrlich, the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s historic preservation officer, said in a statement on 19 May.