Audio
IMAGE: The Grasshopper Weathervane
Transcript
IMAGE: The grasshopper weathervane
DESCRIPTION: This image shows the grasshopper weathervane of Faneuil Hall. A weathervane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. Measuring about 4 feet in length and 40 pounds in weight, the weathervane is attached to the building by a pole. Located at the top of the cupola of Faneuil Hall, the grasshopper is made of copper and covered in a layer of gold plate. A grasshopper is an small insect that has six legs, three on either side, a head with antennae extending from the front, and an exoskeleton, which is a hard outer skeleton that protects its softer insides. While most grasshoppers have a set of wings, the weathervane does not show them. The grasshopper's head is facing to the right. The antennae, a pair of long, thin sensory appendages on the heads of insects, extend out from the head of the grasshopper. The head is shaped like the letter d facing down and has a small eye near the antennae. The body of the grasshopper is shaped like a long, skinny oval. There are three legs total, two smaller and one large, on each side, though you can only see parts of the ones on the back. The two small legs in the front are shaped like an upside down V with the part of the leg attached to the body being shorter than the other part. These legs are located at the front and middle of the body. The third leg is quite large and would be used by the grasshopper to jump forward. Again shaped like a V, the part attached to the body is shaped like a large water droplet. The other part is a straight leg that ends in a square. This leg is located just behind and above the second smaller one. The body of the grasshopper from the middle to the end has a horizontal line going through the middle with vertical lines spaced evenly along it. Six inches above the grasshopper is a golden colored ball. This ball is pierced by the pole, which begins to get thinner as it extends into the sky. About six inches above the ball the pole ends in a thin point. About a foot below the grasshopper on the pole is a decorative element that is shaped like an "s" and made of metal. These are called s scrolls. There are at least four of these scrolls that are visible. These "s" shapes are leaning against the main pole and another shorter piece of metal that crosses the main pole horizontally, forming a plus sign. There are another set of these "s" shapes below the first ones as mirror images. These "s" shapes are cut off about halfway down. In between these s scrolls is a plus sign parallel to the ground. At the end of each piece of metal there are large gold capital letters which indicate the different directions: north, east, south, and west. You cannot see the letter for east or west because of the angel of the photo.
CAPTION: The golden weathervane of Faneuil Hall.
RELATED TEXT: For two centuries, the symbol of Faneuil Hall has been the grasshopper weathervane. Fashioned in 1742 by Deacon Shem Drowne, it may have been inspired by similarly designed weathervanes on the Royal Exchange building in London. Today, the weathervane is the only part of Faneuil Hall which remains totally unmodified from the original 1742 structure, and is a fine example of colonial artistry.
Description
An Audio Description of an image of the grasshopper weathervane atop Faneuil Hall's bell tower.
Duration
3 minutes, 21 seconds
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