Purchased at auction, believed to be Morphy Auctions, around 2020 (reported). The rooster resided at the owner's Terrebonne store for approximately three to five years before joining the collection (reported).

The auction house is recalled as Morphy Auctions but not confirmed (reported). No lot number, catalog reference, or provenance documentation has been provided. The specific Morphy sale has not been independently located in available online catalogs for 2019–2021 (researched, not found), though Morphy's archives are extensive and a direct inquiry to the house could resolve this.

In American carousel production, roosters were produced exclusively by two workshops: the major Philadelphia-school menagerie maker and a prolific North Tonawanda, New York, manufacturer (sourced: CarouselHistory.com). The Philadelphia workshop's roosters are extraordinarily rare — only six or seven are known to survive, and they command prices of $68,000 to $148,500 at auction (sourced: Olde Hope Antiques, Americana Antiques, Sotheby's 1989 via Carousel News & Trader). The North Tonawanda manufacturer produced roosters in greater numbers; surviving menagerie carousels at Balboa Park (San Diego), Golden Gate Park (San Francisco), Tilden Park (Berkeley), and Greenfield Village (Dearborn) each include two to four roosters (sourced: VintageCarousels.com, The Henry Ford). A circa-1906 carousel from the same manufacturer included four roosters among its twenty-eight figures (sourced: IRM Rides).

The $4,000 auction price and the figure's approximate dimensions (38–42 inches tall) are consistent with the North Tonawanda manufacturer's documented output. A rooster attributed to Spillman Company, circa 1900s, appeared on LiveAuctioneers at 40 × 58 × 18½ inches — restored by Mary Youree, the same restorer connected to ID: 004 in this collection (sourced: LiveAuctioneers). An attributed rooster from the A.H. Wilkens September 2022 carousel sale measured 38 × 48 × 10 inches (sourced: LiveAuctioneers).

Roosters are among the rarer figures even from this more prolific manufacturer. While appearing regularly on surviving menagerie carousels, individual figures infrequently appear on the private market. The painted restoration on this figure is thorough and of good quality, though the identity of the restoration artist is not recorded.

The paint surface is a complete professional restoration — smooth, vibrant, with no visible cracking, age patina, or prior paint layers showing through. Both sides appear equally finished. The glass eye is present and clear. The carved feather detail appears crisp and well-preserved. No visible structural repairs, cracks, or separations are evident in photographs. The twisted brass pole appears to be a display fitting. Material composition (carved wood vs. fiberglass reproduction) has not been physically confirmed (pending owner verification).

Low. The figure is attributed to the North Tonawanda manufacturer based on price point, dimensions, and the documented exclusivity of American rooster production to two workshops. However, material composition has not been physically confirmed, the specific auction lot has not been independently verified, no provenance prior to the circa 2020 sale is established, and the surface smoothness requires physical assessment to rule out a reproduction. Owner confirmation on material and auction documentation would move the confidence upward.

• Owner interview transcript (undated; provided with photographs)

• Photographs: four images (DSC_2371, DSC_2372, DSC_2373, DSC_2376), covering both sides plus scale measurement. Whiteboard dated 8/20/2025 and labeled "#016"

• Independent web research: American carousel rooster production history, maker identification, auction records, institutional carousel census data

• Specialist sources consulted: CarouselHistory.com, VintageCarousels.com, AntiqueCarousels.com, Olde Hope Antiques, Americana Antiques, Carousel Workshop, LiveAuctioneers, The Henry Ford, IRM Rides

• Morphy Auctions archive searched; specific lot not independently located