LONDON (CNN) – After more than 50 years, the identity of the old man with a cane on the album cover for Led Zeppelin IV has finally been revealed.
The “old man with a firewood” on the cover of British rock band Led Zeppelin’s fourth studio album, released in 1971, was a roofer in the late Victorian era. Wiltshire Museum, located in southwest England, released a statement on the 8th.
A black-and-white photograph believed to be the original of “The Old Man Carrying Firewood”/Courtesy Wiltshire Museum
The roofer is believed to have been Lot Long (sometimes known as “Longyear”), who was born in 1823 in the Wiltshire town of Mere. At the time his photo was taken, his wife had died and he was living alone in a small cabin. According to the museum, he passed away in 1993.
The discovery was made by Brian Edwards, a visiting researcher at the Center for Regional History at the University of the West of England, Bristol. He found an original black-and-white photograph with the handwritten inscription “Roofer of Wiltshire”.
Mr Edwards appeared on BBC Radio Wiltshire on the 8th and said that he believed it was the original because there was a thumbprint in the corner of the photograph.
The photographs were housed in a Victorian-era album titled “Memories of a visit to Shaftesbury. Pentecost, 1892. A present from Ernest to his Aunt.” The museum said they contained buildings and street corners. It contains more than 100 photographs, including landscapes from around the world, as well as several portraits of local workers.
“Led Zeppelin was the soundtrack of my youth,” Edwards said in a statement. “The discovery of these Victorian-era photographs allows us to honor (surviving band members) Robert, Jimmy and John Paul. I would be happy if you found it interesting and enjoyed it.”
Led Zeppelin members pose in front of a private plane, 1973/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Edwards said he believes the photo was taken by Ernest Howard Farmer, a photographer active in the Victorian era, because the handwriting on the album partially matched a signature he found on the Internet. It is said that it will be done.
According to the University of the West of England, it is believed that the band’s lead singer, Robert Plant, unearthed a colored version of the photo in Berkshire, southern England, at an antique shop near guitarist Jimmy Page’s home. .
The only thing that appears on the cover of “Led Zeppelin IV” is this colored photo, and unusually, there is no writing, let alone the band’s name.
According to the statement, the album has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide since its release in 1971.
As a result, the image of an old man with a seasoned face and white beard, clutching a long cane and supporting the weight of a hazel firewood on his back, became famous.
“See how the theme of country versus city was explored by Led Zeppelin and became the centerpiece of their iconic album cover 70 years later,” museum director David Dawson said in a statement. That’s interesting.”
The original photograph will go on display at Wiltshire Museum next spring, along with other photographs taken in the west of England during the Victorian era.
