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Object Overview
This Napoleon III Figural Cast Aneroid Barometer, dating from around 1890 and produced by the Parisian scientific instrument maker Victor Reclus, is a remarkable example of late 19th-century decorative art. It reflects the stylistic blend of classicist and romantic motifs typical of the period. The substantial case is cast in spelter — a zinc-based alloy typically composed of about 95% zinc with small amounts of lead, tin, or copper — and patinated to resemble aged bronze. Known in French as régule, this material was widely used for ornamental castings in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
At the center of the composition is a romanticized female figure—likely a shepherdess or peasant woman—dressed in traditional costume, a popular subject in decorative arts of the era. She stands on an elaborate cast base adorned with volutes, mascarons, and stylized acanthus leaves. To her right, a cherub supports a bowl housing the barometer, topped with a vase of fruits and flowers—symbols of abundance and a possible nod to antiquity.
n/a
Tremeschini
brass, cardboard, glass, iron
The aneroid barometer is built into the central structure. It features a cylindrical case with a brass bezel and fitted glass. The open cardboard dial is marked with a concentric barometric scale in millimeters of mercury. Surrounding the scale are seven standard French-language weather indications.
Between the words “Baromètre” and “Anéroïde” at the bottom of the dial is the iconic company emblem: a slightly eccentric sun bearing the initials “V.R.”, along with the label “Breveté SGDG”, denoting a patented design.
Also found at the lower part of the dial is the intriguing name “Bery-Gueudet, Reims”. Bery-Gueudet was an optical workshop and retailer located at 68 Place Drouet-d’Erlon in Reims, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The firm acted as a reseller and possibly assembler of aneroid barometers, and also offered optical goods such as spectacles, lorgnettes, binoculars, thermometers, and perhaps photographic or medical optical instruments.
The operation of the barometer is based on an unusual and rare movement created by Reclus. A detailed description of this mechanism, including additional images, can be seen in this example — Nickel-Plated Brass Desk Barometer.
Altogether, this piece represents the fusion of technical craftsmanship and ornamental sophistication characteristic of the period.
Pierre Victor Reclus, born in 1831 in Bergerac, was a French inventor, clockmaker, and entrepreneur who became a prominent figure in 19th-century scientific instrument manufacturing. Coming from a modest family—his father was a cutler—Reclus moved to Paris at a young age, where he started a family and began developing his professional path. In 1856, the same year he married Virginie Louise Leroy, he opened his first horological workshop on Rue Dauphine and filed his first patent for a mechanical counter for carriages.
Over the following years, Reclus established himself as a prolific inventor. He relocated his workshop several times as the business expanded, eventually setting up in Rue du Temple. Between the late 1850s and 1880s, he registered numerous patents across various fields, including telegraphy, alarm clocks, electric timekeeping, and display technologies. His workshop grew to become one of the largest in Paris, second only to the Japy firm, employing dozens of workers and participating in major exhibitions. He was awarded silver medals at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle and a gold medal in 1889.
Reclus wasn’t just a craftsman—he was also socially engaged. He supported his workers, intervened on their behalf to obtain medals, and backed labor causes, including a petition in 1869 in support of victims of state violence during a miners’ strike. He held a seat on the Joinville-le-Pont municipal council, a suburb where he owned a second residence, and was involved in local charitable and cooperative initiatives.