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RARE PHOTOS OF JOHN DEERE DISCOVERED
Aug. 29, 2024
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| Photo courtesy of Middlebury Museum | | “That is the man. That is John Deere,” says Frederick Rock, renowned antique expert and owner of Westchester Fine Art. That picture speaks and tells its own story.”
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By Chris Bennett, Farm Journal
History reborn. Lost for almost 175 years, a striking photo of John Deere, the most famous craftsman in the annals of agriculture, has been found, according to the Middlebury Museum.
Muscled neck, heavy jaw, and impatient pose, Deere is captured in a 3" x 4" daguerreotype taken between 1851 and 1856. Currently on display in Middlebury, Vermont, the image is remarkable, particularly considering Deere largely is absent from the historical photo record--beyond stodgy, chest-high pictures or statesman-like profiles.
"It's incredible and definitely him," says Frederick Rock, renowned antique expert and owner of Westchester Fine Art. "That is the man. That is John Deere. That picture speaks and tells its own story."
"Who In The Hell Else?"
There were two.
On Oct. 5, 1994, a pair of Deere daguerreotypes, valued at $10,000-15,000, went under the gavel at Sotheby's, listed as: Portrait of Man in Frock Coat and Cravat, and Portrait of a Man Posed with Plow Handles. The same man featured in both pictures, with a change of dress and apparel between shots. Adios to the coat and tie, and welcome to a whip and straw hat.
As noted by Sotheby's in its accompanying sale catalogue: The forthright gaze and aggressive pose of the man posed with plow handles indicate an individual of considerable ambition and tremendous purpose.
To read the entire article click here.
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| Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s | | The second John Deere daguerreotype sold by Sotheby’s. |
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