Barometers Buying Advice
| December 18, 2010 | Posted by admin under Misc |
They say “red sky at night is a shepherd’s delight” but is it? They say “cows laying down will bring rain” but does it? If you really want to know how the weather’s going to be, you need a barometer. The Italians first brought mercury barometers to Britain in 1660. At first only the rich could afford them, but mass production soon made them more affordable. Today you can pay anything from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands.
A super example is this late 18th century Georgian stick barometer, it’s a scientific instrument and of course it’s a wonderful piece of furniture.
Inside the barometer itself you’ll see this glass tube; it’s filled with mercury. Atmospheric pressure changes the movement of the mercury up or down and predicts the weather. Look at the case, it’s mahogany, and the veneer is a wonderful quality. The little ivory turned knob is used to adjust the Vernier scale with the pointer on this engraved silver dial.
A nice tip here – look for the maker’s name. This one is W & S Jones, Holborn, London. London makers are much prized. What’s also interesting is that Holborn was a centre for instrument makers and great cabinet makers.
Regency mercury barometer is early 19th century, 1815-1820. This has been veneered in mahogany. A good dealer’s tip here: because they were mass produced, the veneers were machine cut in this period. Look down the edge of the barometer, the veneer, the figuring, will run all the way down the edge.
The face or dial, is silvered but engraved boldly, I note this was made by an Italian maker and says “Manchester”. Don’t be put off by that. In the early 19th century there was a whole community of Italian instrument makers in the north of England, making good quality standard items. They were mass produced and you should find one easily for £700 to £1,000 – really great value. Incidentally there were more of these made in England than anywhere in Europe, but with our weather it’s hardly surprising.
Now this is my personal favourite. What a barometer. Late Georgian, 1790 and veneered in mahogany.
The superb veneers are inlaid with ovals and the boxwood and ebony stringing is so smart.
The edges show the veneers are hand-cut and superbly thick. The shape is slender, elegant, almost sexy.
The bezel extends to the edge of the barometer, giving it beautiful balance. A barometer like this is going to cost you in excess of £3,000 but it is worth every penny.
The trouble with barometers is, they’re scientific instruments, there’s often something wrong with them, whether you acquire one from an auction or if you’re lucky enough that granny gives you one, it’s going to need some attention. Have it professionally restored – it’ll cost you about £250.
Now here’s some pointers on what to look for.
- Make sure you open up the back of the barometer, you’ll often find air bubbles in the mercury and the tube may have broken. It can be fixed but it will cost extra.
- The pediment often gets chipped or broken. To disguise it, this one’s been shaved down.
- Watch for chips to the veneer, replaced thermometers and damage to the silvering around the bezel, this can be caused by over-cleaning or neglect.
- When you’ve acquired your barometer, don’t hang it over a radiator, hang it somewhere where you can look at it, where you can enjoy it, and where you can predict accurately your own weather.
