The butter cow is an icon of the Iowa State Fair ― and, if we’re being honest, the state in general.
Every summer, Iowans scramble to get a glimpse of the famous butter bovine and take a selfie with its accompanying butter sculptures.
But who was the first person to look at a stick of butter and think: I see the Venus de Milo?
Turns out she was a mid-1800s Midwestern farm wife whose natural abilities, unrelenting ambition and unconventional artwork catapulted her into headlines and made her a celebrity the world over.
So, why don’t we know anything about her?
LISTEN: The tragic life and lost legacy of America’s first butter sculptor
Senior writer Courtney Crowder paired with “Proof,” a podcast from America’s Test Kitchen, to tell the story of that fantastic countrywoman turned master sculptor, Caroline Shawk Brooks.
Using Brook’s personal writings and expert analysis from Iowa historians and artists, including Iowa State Fair butter sculptor Sarah Pratt, Crowder traces her rise to fame, her fall from the art world’s graces and the breathtaking way butter helped her carve a new life — one most women of her time wouldn’t even dare to dream.
The episode is NOW AVAILABLE wherever you get your podcasts.
To learn more about Caroline and other Proof podcasts, visit AmericasTestKitchen.com/Podcasts/Proof.
Courtney Crowder, the Register’s Iowa Columnist, traverses the state’s 99 counties telling Iowans’ stories. Her State Fair food must-get is the Bauder’s Peppermint Bar. Don’t be ashamed to have seconds! Reach her at ccrowder@dmreg.com or 515-284-8360.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The tragic life and lost legacy of America’s first butter sculptor
Reporting by Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
