The Greek allegorical figure of Fame, trumpeting a triumph and bestowing a laurel wreath, was a rare subject for commercial weathervane manufacturers of the late nineteenth century. The delicate figure was undoubtedly difficult to execute and had only a limited number of appropriate architectural settings. This weathervane is said to have been found on a building in the Boston area that was possibly used as a Catholic preparatory school for girls. It is one of only five known weathervanes featuring Fame, and the only one depicted in a flying pose. Its maker is unknown, although it was probably the product of either E. G. Washburne & Co., J. L. Mott Iron Works, or J. W. Fiske, all major shops in New York. Attribution of these weathervanes is made difficult by the standard practice of borrowing designs or buying and reusing parts.
