Angel Weathervane, Newburyport, MA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 42° 48.313 W 070° 51.599
19T E 347915 N 4740862
A watercolor of this angel (formerly with trumpet) weathervane was used for the design of a Christmas stamp issued in 1965.
Waymark Code: WM1473Q
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2021
Views: 5
In the middle of the nineteenth century, weathervanes depicting angles were quite rare. This one, which sits atop the steeple of the People’s United Methodist Church in Newburyport MA, was originally designed and manufactured by the Gould & Hazlett Co. of Boston in 1840. Made of sheet iron and copper, its design is believed to be unique.
During the Great Depression, an attempt was made to create a catalogue of American folk-art objects. A product of the Federal Art Project, it was named the Index of American Design. Operating under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration, the project doubled as work relief for commercial artists hard hit by unemployment. In all, over 18,000 watercolor images were created by around 400 different artists. The subject matter ranged from wood carvings and furniture to textiles and toys (and, of course, weathervanes).
The watercolor image that’s reproduced on the stamp was painted in 1939 by Lucille Chabot and is part of the Index of American Design. It depicts a weathervane in the form of the angel Gabriel that’s perched atop the steeple of the People’s United Methodist Church in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The angel weathervane has been replaced on several occasions due to deterioration. When I photographed the weathervane, it was also in need of repair as Gabriel had lost his trumpet. The church’s official website (see below) shows a shiny new one.
All 18,000+ paintings that comprise the Index of American Design currently belong to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. They rarely place any of these on public display, but many have been used on US postage stamps over the years.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 2-Nov-1965
Denomination: 5c
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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