Barometers Realm

A brass plaque on the front of the case reads:

MEUBLES DE BUREAU

H. Morin

Rue Dulong, Paris

This is the original maker’s label from the well-known Parisian workshop of Henri Morin, affixed at the time of sale. The term “meubles de bureau” likely refers to their office equipment section — possibly a product line that included writing desks, drafting tables, display cabinets, and other furnishings associated with scientific and engineering environments. The barograph mechanism was likely purchased from or commissioned to Maxant and then mounted in a custom Morin housing. Thus, H. Morin likely acted as a system integrator or high-end retailer.

The internal mechanism is of excellent quality, featuring a stack of seven aneroid capsules, each fitted with an internal compensating spring. Changes in atmospheric pressure compress or expand the capsules, and this movement is transmitted via a series of levers and linkages to a stylus that inscribes a pressure trace on a rotating paper drum. The drum rotates on the axis of a clockwork mechanism with an anchor escapement, and the chart is held in place by a flat brass clip.

The underside of the drum bears the stamped marking:

ECHAPT A ANCRE

8 JOURS

“Echapt à ancre” is short for “échappement à ancre”, French for anchor escapement — a common and reliable type of time regulation mechanism found in both clocks and scientific instruments. “8 jours” indicates that the mechanism is designed to run for eight days on a single wind — a standard and convenient duration for barographs used in laboratories or observatories.

The main frame supporting the drum and mechanism is made of brass, covered in a dense gray coating with a distinctive crackled texture, reminiscent of aged enamel or reptile skin. This is most likely antique hammer-finish enamel or a high-temperature industrial coating with pigment additives that create the textured surface. Such finishes were commonly used on scientific equipment for both protective and aesthetic purposes: they resist corrosion, mask surface imperfections, and give the instrument a distinctly technical appearance. The hammer effect is achieved by applying a special paint that contracts locally as it dries, forming a rippled pattern that resembles a hammered metal surface.