12 Anniversary Preview

12th Anniversary 14 www.antiquesandfineart.com DISCOVERIES The Warren Dragon Weathervane Warren, Pennsylvania. Anonymous maker. Three-dimensional form made of copper with a most beautiful weathered verdigris surface. One glass eye remains intact. Measurements: Total Height: 6' 10"; H. of Dragon 57"; W. of Dragon: 40"; Thickness: 6" (approximately). Courtesy, Allan Katz Americana, Woodbridge, Connecticut This weathervane was originally installed in 1891 on the roof of the Warren Savings Bank (315 Second Avenue, Warren, Pa.) when this elegant Victorian brick building was first erected. The bank was designed as a replica of the Flatiron Building in New York City. The town of Warren was named after Major General Joseph Warren, whose family crest depicts a dragon. Fortunes in the town were made as a result of “an abundance of wood[;] access to water made it profitable to float lumber down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh.” Oil was discovered in 1875, and “Many of Warren’s large Victorian homes were built with revenue generated by the local oil and timber industry.” In 1901, ten years after its installation on the bank, the “Dragon” appeared on the cover of the High School Yearbook. It has remained the mascot of the high school ever since. The yearbook is called “The Dragon” and the Football team is the “Warren Dragons.” In the Fall of 2010, under the supervision of Allan Katz Americana, this Dragon Weathervane was removed from the structure where it had been situated since 1891. A replica was then produced and was installed on the building in the Spring of 2011. A unique and powerful example of weathervane art. See corresponding ad on pages 88–89 for more photos.