Mystery Solved: Man on Zeppelin IV Album Cover Identified as Victorian Thatcher Lot Long

Historian and Zeppelin fan stumbles upon original 19th-century photo of Lot Long at auction, identifies thatcher as iconic figure on band's fourth album cover.

The man on the cover of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, often referred to as 'Led Zeppelin IV', has been identified as Lot Long, a Victorian thatcher from Wiltshire, England.
Brian Edwards, a historian and Led Zeppelin fan, spotted the original 19th-century photograph of Lot Long at an auction and made the connection.
The original photo was found in an album titled “Reminiscences of a visit to Shaftesbury… a present to Auntie from Ernest” featuring the work of photographer Ernest Farmer.
Ernest Farmer, the photographer, was also a photographic teacher and is thought to have colorized Lot Long's photo which may have ended up in the antique shop where lead singer Robert Plant found it.
The Wiltshire Museum acquired the original photo album and plans to host an exhibition featuring Ernest Farmer's photographs, including the original photo of Lot Long, in spring 2024.