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Object Overview
I present the third barometer by Lucien Vidie in my collection, dating to around 1865, with serial number 17053. This barometer was manufactured in the UK and intended for the English market.
It features a characteristic brass case with an elegant ornamental bezel and a suspension ring. The bezel holds a flat glass pane resting on a reflective brass ring.
The dial is made of silvered brass and bears a barometric scale in London inches of mercury, divided into fortieths, ranging from 28 to 31 inches. Seven minimalist standard weather terms are printed in English, using a mixture of serif and sans-serif typefaces. At the center of the dial is the label “Aneroid Barometer”, written in an Old English-style lettering — a Victorian reinterpretation of classic Gothic script.
At the lower part of the dial is a curved mercury thermometer, calibrated in Fahrenheit, with its round reservoir housed inside the case.
A distinguishing feature of the English variant of Vidie’s barometer lies in its movement, which can be identified simply by examining the back of the instrument — the calibration port is positioned at three o’clock. Earlier models of Vidie’s barometers had the adjustment port precisely at six o’clock, due to the internal configuration of the movement.
17053
early Vidie
brass, glass, silvered brass, steel
The movement is built around a large corrugated copper capsule, mounted on a cast-iron base, tensioned by a C-shaped spring. In earlier aneroids, Vidie used an external helical spring. A particularly interesting detail is that the flat end of the spring is embedded directly into a steel rod, from which the main transmission lever extends.
Another notable feature is the prominent ribbed brass counterweight, designed to balance the mechanical components and minimize the barometer’s sensitivity to tilting. The counterweight resembles a watch crown.
The brass bridge supporting the pointer shaft, which receives a conventional link-type chain, is shaped like an inverted capital “L”.
This barometer clearly illustrates the evolution of aneroid barometer movements developed by their inventor, Lucien Vidie.