52 years ago Led Zeppelin released their iconic album Led Zeppelin IV , and since then a curious question has always lingered in the minds of fans: who is the mysterious man on the cover?
According to The Guardian , new research has identified the bearded, stooped man as Lot Long – also known as Lot Longyear – a thatcher , a type of craftsman who installs traditional thatched roofs, from the small town of Mere in southwest Wiltshire. Lot was born in 1823 and died in 1893.
The researcher responsible for discovering Lot's image is Brian Edwards . He found it at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. This image may correspond to photography professor Ernest Howard Farmer (1856-1944).
Commenting on the discovery, Edwards said: “Led Zeppelin created the soundtrack that has accompanied me since adolescence. So, I really hope that the discovery of this Victorian photograph pleases and amuses Robert, Jimmy and John Paul.”
It is believed that Plant first encountered a colored version of the image while visiting an antique shop near Page's home in Pangbourne, Berkshire.
See the image below.