Need help identifying these little metal men...

[grafer]

I remember when I was younger, about 35-40 years ago, finding a couple of these around a barn in the neighborhood where I grew up, in a small NY town in the Hudson Valley. I was always told that they were attached to the barn and had fallen off, and that they were put on there for protection or good luck. I don't know how true this was, or if it was accurate. But, I do know that they were on the barn at some point in time. All of them that we ever found were around the barn.

The legs had points for feet and the hands were little circles. Each guy is about 3" tall and weigh approximate 20grams when complete. They have single digit numbers on their body (1, 4, 5, etc..). They appear to be cast bronze or brass but not sure.

Well, I last week I went back to visit my family and took my detector. I found about 11 more of them in the ground on the side of the barn, in various stages of condition. I've searched the web over the years and have not been able to find out anything about these little guys. Has anyone ever seen them? Or seen any information on them?

Thanks in advance for any help ...
Ron

 

[72cheyenne]

Wonder what them little fellas are supposed to be.....elf, clown, the tin man? I'm curious on this one.

 

[Likely Guy]

My first thought are whirligig's attached to a weather vane, whereby the wind's action would set the little buggers adancing. But they're sure small.

 

[IronSpike]

I've never seen or heard about good luck barn figures. They are really neat

Were they attached to the roof of the barn? Could they have functioned as snow/ice catcher? Seem to recall spikes were put on roofs to avoid big sheets of ice/snow falling from tall buildings.

 

[grafer]

I've never seen or heard about good luck barn figures. They are really neat

Were they attached to the roof of the barn? Could they have functioned as snow/ice catcher? Seem to recall spikes were put on roofs to avoid big sheets of ice/snow falling from tall buildings.

Don't know where they were attached on the barn ... I've never seen one attached. All I remember is finding them on/in the ground on the side of the barn, never in front by the doors. I should mention that the barns are long, tall, dairy type barns with big doors on the ends. Matter of fact the homestead is the old Borden's Dairy Farm. My parents house was an old worker's house from about the turn of the century, and the old Borden Mansion was/is just down the street.

 

[One mans trash...]

Seems interesting that they're in a running attitude with the arms out front. Wouldn't look right just hanging on a wire run through the hands. Looks like someone was either in production, or they were part of an elaborate setup. I'm puzzled by the different digits cast into them, since they all seem to be pretty much identical.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Wonder what them little fellas are supposed to be.....elf, clown, the tin man? I'm curious on this one.

Wow, those are cool little Pinocchio's. Maybe they had clothes at one time.

 

[Drache]

They remind me of a few "french" marionettes that I watched a show about once (yes I was REALLY bored)....

anyways they had the EXACT same looking heads, just like in the Pinocchio's above!

 

[taz42o]

They were probably attached to a wind powered blade like a small wind mill and and when the wind blows and the blades turn the little men did something such as sawing wood . I remember my grandma had such things but they where made of wood.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It looks as if they all attached to something at the hands.

 

[taz42o]

It looks as if they all attached to something at the hands.

yes I think a crank with a wind blade on the end when the wind blows the men do something , dance , appear to saw wood. something like these.

http://www.folkartisans.com/pages/winditem.html

 

[grafer]

Just in case it matters ... there are no moving parts on these guys. All legs and arms are rigid (like they are welded in position). Also, they were spread the length of the barn (which was 300-400 feet long). I don't know if the barn would have that many windmills ...

 

[Monty]

This is one of the most interesting and possibly challenging posts I have seen lately. I have been around rural settings most of my life and never seen anything like that. Makes me think it might be some kind of ethnic thing like Mineonites for example. No , I don't think it is religious but perhaps more of a immigrant thing? They appear to be running and possibly pushing something, or maybe holding onto something moving fast? Sure has me wondering. Monty

 

[Bridge End Farm]

looks like Pinocchio

 

[IronSpike]

'Snow guards' is the term for the roof device. A wire may have run through the hands of a line of Pinocchio's?

Some snow guards sometimes also decorative.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...f+snow+guard&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=20&um=1

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...+snow+guard&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=420&um=1

 

[Bridge End Farm]

being from florida I have never seen these things

but looking at your links I think your right and a steel rod went down along them
to reinforce the roof.

 

[grafer]

'Snow guards' is the term for the roof device. A wire may have run through the hands of a line of Pinocchio's?

Some snow guards sometimes also decorative.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...f+snow+guard&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=20&um=1

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...+snow+guard&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=420&um=1

Interesting... thanks for those links. I suppose it's feasible that they are snow guards.. But, these guys are only 3" tall and if a wire went through the hands it would it would have to be the size of a guitar string. Plus most of shape of the snow guards in the links seem to be flat to hold back the snow. I don't see how the shape of these guys would hold back anything... unless they were purely decorative one's, not functional. Hmmm....I don't know ....

 

[sanford.]

For what its worth.... the arms, legs and bodies appear to be made from chain saw or some other type of chain link parts (motorcycle/bicycle) . As for the head--- no clue

 

[IronSpike]

Apparently many different styles/systems of snow guards. The links I previously posted were to illustrate the type with rail/wire and also that some guards actually also are decorative besides functional. If googling "roof snow guards" you'll notice how the many styles and designs (can't find the Pinocchio design). This link shows a guard system without bars/wires and more the size of your relics.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ev=/images?q=roof+snow+guards&hl=en&sa=N&um=1

If home made guards these relics even more unique.

 

[grafer]

Apparently many different styles/systems of snow guards. The links I previously posted were to illustrate the type with rail/wire and also that some guards actually also are decorative besides functional. If googling "roof snow guards" you'll notice how the many styles and designs (can't find the Pinocchio design). This link shows a guard system without bars/wires and more the size of your relics.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ev=/images?q=roof+snow+guards&hl=en&sa=N&um=1

If home made guards these relics even more unique.

What position do you think they may have been mounted? Head pointing up the slope toward the peak? Standing up with the pointed foot in some sort of bracket? Standing up, facing outward, mounted to a bracket with a wire though the hands? Trying to get a visual in my mind.