Researchers Discover Real Identity of Led Zeppelin IV Man

An English researcher has identified the person featured on the cover of Led Zeppelin IV. The famous album was released in 1971. It contains huge hits like “Stairway to Heaven.” It is also well-known for its cover, which has no text on it—so no band name or album title!

What Is on the Cover of Led Zeppelin IV?

The cover only shows a framed photograph of a man carrying a bundle of long twigs strapped to his back. The man also has a stick he uses for a cane. The photograph hangs against a backdrop of peeling wallpaper.

For a long time, the man’s identity has been unknown. Robert Plant, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, found the photograph in an antique shop in Berkshire, England.

The Unexpected Finding of an English Historian

Now, over 50 years after the album’s release, Brian Edwards, a historian from the University of the West of England, found an original copy of the image while he was browsing the Internet for auction house news. Edwards instantly recognized the man with the sticks because of his lifelong love of the band Led Zeppelin.

After consulting his wife to confirm that it was the same photograph, he told the Wiltshire Museum about it. The museum bought the photo album featuring the photo for $515 (£420 at the time).

But Who Is the Man From the Album Cover?

The museum workers successfully identified the mysterious man in the picture. His name was Lot Long, a 69-year-old roofthatcher born in Mere, Wiltshire, in 1823. At the time the photograph was taken, he was living in a small cottage.

Led Zeppelin IV has sold more than 37 million copies in the whole world. Listen to it today, and think of Lot Long.