Barometers Realm

This is a Corporate Aneroid Barometer by the German company BARIGO, produced around 1966 on commission for the Dutch trade union organisation ANGB, whose abbreviation appears at the lower part of the dial. This is not a retail instrument, but a commemorative or representative object, created within the framework of corporate culture and the visual language of the second half of the twentieth century, where a measuring instrument becomes simultaneously a symbol of stability, precision, and institutional presence.

ANGB stands for Algemeene Nederlandsche Grafische Bond (General Dutch Graphic Union), a Dutch trade union organisation representing workers in the graphic and printing industries. A persistent but unfortunate misunderstanding is sometimes encountered, whereby this abbreviation is interpreted as Algemene Nederlandsche Gas- en Barometerfabriek; this, however, is entirely incorrect and has no basis in reality. In this context, ANGB unequivocally refers to the graphic workers’ union, and the inscription ANGB 1866–1966 on the dial commemorates the centenary of the Dutch graphic trade union movement, traced back to the founding of ANTB (Algemeene Nederlandsche Typografenbond — General Dutch Typographers’ Union) in 1866.

The barometer’s case is made from solid teak — a dense, oily hardwood of a warm honey-brown tone, highly valued in post-war Europe for its durability, stability, and noble surface character. The circular form of the case maintains a clear link to the tradition of wall-mounted instruments, while remaining entirely free of decorative excess: the wood functions as a calm, neutral frame that underscores the modern character of the dial and does not distract from the readings themselves.

The dial is made of silvered brass, its surface offering a soft, diffused reflection that acts as a light, almost architectural background. It is protected by a domed mineral glass crystal, set into an exceptionally thin brass bezel — so delicate that the glass appears almost flush with the plane of the dial. This solution enhances the sense of formal purity and emphasises the restrained design ethos of the instrument. At the centre of the glass is a brass trend-setting pointer with a knurled knob, allowing manual adjustment.

The barometric scale is concentric in layout and calibrated in centimetres of mercury, covering a range from 70 to 78 cm. Instead of a densely populated numerical scale, however, only five large numerals are present, rendered in an elongated, geometrically austere typeface. Intermediate values are indicated by a system of marks and dots: marks denote whole numbers, while dots indicate tenths, for example 76.5 cm. As a result, the dial reads visually more like a clock face than a traditional barometric scale — an effect that is clearly intentional and fully aligned with the aesthetics of the 1960s, when measurement increasingly gravitated toward visual abstraction and reduction.

In place of a conventional textual weather scale, the dial bears only two terms: REGEN (rain) and MOOI (fair). This radical reduction of the interpretive layer, emphasising a rational, almost engineering-oriented visual language, suggests a shift away from narrative “forecasting” toward the pure indication of pressure, leaving interpretation to the user. That would be a tempting design reading; however, it is equally plausible that the instrument was primarily intended to reinforce a corporate identity, in which the organisation — the ‘brand’, together with its commemorative date and institutional continuity — takes precedence, while the practical function of the barometer gently recedes into the background.

Atmospheric pressure is indicated by a counterbalanced hand made of japanned aluminium — lightweight, graphically expressive, and stylistically characteristic of its era, balancing functionality with design elegance. Its contrast against the silvered dial surface ensures excellent legibility without the need for additional colour accents.

The instrument is driven by a conventional, time-tested aneroid movement. At its core is a sensitive aneroid capsule made of nickel silver, tensioned against a C-shaped steel spring. Motion is transmitted to the pointer arbor via a fusee chain, ensuring smooth operation, stable readings, and accuracy during pressure changes. This mechanical solution reflects BARIGO’s adherence to established engineering traditions, even during a period marked by active experimentation in industrial design.

Overall, this BARIGO barometer made for ANGB stands as a compelling example of how, in the 1960s, the aneroid instrument ceased to be solely a scientific device and became an element of the visual environment — a strict, intellectual, almost graphic object. It unites reliable classical mechanics, progressive minimalism, and a clearly articulated corporate context, securing it a distinctive place in both the history of industrial design and the history of institutional measuring instruments.