Perched atop houses and barns, these wind indicators have been in use in America since Colonial times, doubling as personal expressions of an individual's interests or trade. Check out these classic examples of form meets function.
Many weathervanes were cast in likenesses of agricultural symbols—as in this bull—reflecting America's rural roots. At the time of a weathervane's installation, a compass was used to set the vane's cardinal points. Just knowing the wind direction was enough information for early colonists to be able to tell the weather, as prevailing winds brought particular types of conditions.
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