Who Is This Guy? 1946 bronze plaque

[on.off]

This was found in an old VT barn. It is a bronze plaque, maybe commemorative or memorial, with a man on it. It is signed 1946 WF. It has 2 hooks on the back and also remnants of some sort of cement or adhesive. The bronze shows patina and weathering, it may have been outside, maybe mounted on a monument or building. It is about 9" by 6".

I am hoping somebody may be able to ID this man or the sculptor. I realize it could just be some person's family member made for a tomb or an obscure local figure rather than anybody historical.

 

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[MuckyBottles]

From the side it looks like Mao Zedong

 

[clovis97]

From the side it looks like Mao Zedong

I thought the exact same thing!!!!

 

[BosnMate]

Harry Truman

 

[MuckyBottles]

I thought the exact same thing!!!!

I mean it is Vermont. .no offense

 

[Peyton Manning]

dave letterman in five years

 

[MuckyBottles]

Mao or Harry. .lol

 

[on.off]

Not lol, lmao (...)
I thought of Mao but some of the details are wrong. The person who gave it to me thought Truman, but I also don't think this is right.

 

[on.off]

Or maybe this sculptor fw just isn't very good...

 

[BigWaveDave]

I was thinking Truman before I scrolled down to see the responses...

 

[MuckyBottles]

The nose and mouth scream Mao..The rest says Truman. .maybe abstract art?

 

[johnnyi]

No way under the sun it's Mao; Mao had a weak chin and a little round head. This guy's probably semi-local an had a wind of a hospital or something similar named after him. The arrms of the glasses he's wearing should help date him maybe.

 

[on.off]

The nose and mouth scream Mao..The rest says Truman. .maybe abstract art?

I'll call him Trumao.

Anyway I think johnnyi is probably right...some local big shot.

 

[coin1921]

If the WF is a makers mark the plaque is possibly german?

Hitler, Goering, Goebbels Plaque

 

[DCMatt]

What is the name of the town nearest to where this was found?

Not Mao...

DCMatt

 

[nhbenz]

I could picture this having been used at a university where a building was named after someone. Or a company founder, if it was once large enough. Those just seem like happier thoughts than someone's tomb.
Regarding the mark; When enlarged it almost appears that is a W with wings (or arms) which were extended to the sides of a surrounding box, where the right side of the box didn't come out of the cast as thick as the left side (leaving what only looks like an F)

 

[on.off]

Given the date I thought maybe something WWII.

I am pretty sure the FW mark is complete and not missing anything.

It was found near Montpelier VT.

I'm still leaning toward local notoriety rather than well known historical figure.

 

[MuckyBottles]

It could be anybody..or nobody

 

[SkySgt]

I believe it is a side profile of Vermont Senator Warren Austin. Born in 1877, he died in 1962. In 1946, he resigned his position as Senator in order to accept the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. This plaque may have been part of a memorial or some type of monument dedicated to him upon his leaving the Senatorship. Being that Montpelier is the state capitol of Vermont, my guess may not be too far off the mark.

 

[packerbacker]

Kinda looks like Mao to me but I don't know if he wore glasses??