Barometers Realm

Before us is an exceptional Oak Pediment Barometer by Negretti & Zambra, dating to around 1890 — a monumental Victorian mercury instrument of true museum calibre. It combines an architecturally composed carved oak case, extraordinarily large ivory register plates with verniers, the meteorological formulations of Robert FitzRoy, and a technically sophisticated mercury system with an enlarged cistern, designed both for precision and for safe transportation.

Case

The barometer case is made from solid oak and presents a strictly vertical, architecturally disciplined composition characteristic of high-grade English wall barometers of the last third of the nineteenth century. The top of the instrument is crowned by a powerful, strongly profiled cornice, its front enriched with a rhythmic carved ornament of stylised foliage and geometric motifs. Beneath this runs a row of small dentils, creating the effect of a classical entablature. On either side of the arched opening of the upper section are finely executed carved corner appliqués with vegetal ornament, accentuating the vaulted form of the niche.

Below the niche is a broad projecting belt-shelf that forms a visual “break” in the façade. Its underside is decorated with a repeating row of oval bead- or boat-shaped recesses — deep cut cavities that create a lively play of light and shadow. This belt is a key compositional node: it separates the “upper temple” of the barometer (the register plates) from its “body” (the thermometer and the cistern with its locking mechanism).

Above and below the thermometer window are carved rectangular coffers that read as heraldic medallions of the case. The upper one contains a stylised vegetal motif resembling a Gothic bud or trefoil with lateral scrolls; the lower reads as a stylised flower or rosette with radiating “petals” and a central circular accent.

At the bottom, the case transitions into a lower assembly — a massive protective housing projecting forward as a distinct volume. Its upper cover carries a carved leaf ornament along the edge, while the front of the housing features a deep carved panel with volutes and foliage: two symmetrical scrolls converge toward a central “flaming” leaf, recalling the pediment of a small architectural structure. The lower portion is built up in steps and projections, with several horizontal shelves of differing depth. In profile it resembles a miniature pavilion or altar pedestal: a broad upper slab, followed by a narrowing, then another projection, and finally a lower step. At the very bottom, a metal mounting loop or bracket for wall fixing is visible — a practical anchor beneath all this architectural theatricality.

Register Plates

The upper part of the case forms a deep arched niche, closed by protective mineral glass with neatly finished bevelled edges. Behind the glass, set at a noticeable angle to one another, are two exceptionally large ivory register plates, each approximately 20 cm wide — a size that immediately distinguishes this barometer from the vast majority of comparable instruments. The surfaces of the plates are carefully polished and richly decorated with high-quality engraving and typography.

Both register plates carry a barometric scale calibrated in London inches of mercury over the range from 26 to 31. Each scale is equipped with its own vernier. The verniers are operated independently via a rack-and-pinion mechanism, using two carved ivory knobs symmetrically positioned beneath the niche of the register plates. This system allows not only readings of atmospheric pressure to hundredths of an inch, but also the fixing of a reference value for comparison. The purpose of the mechanism is reinforced by inscriptions at the lower part of the plates: on the left, “10 a.m. yesterday”, and on the right, “10 a.m. today”, making the instrument a clear and didactic tool for analysing barometric tendency.

The right-hand register plate is further enriched with the classic textual weather indications — Fair, Change, Rain, Stormy — traditionally used on English barometers, but here rendered with particularly refined typography. In addition to the scales, the register plates bear important inscriptions. At the top of the left plate is engraved the name Negretti & Zambra, together with the designation “Instrument Makers to Her Majesty”, emphasising the company’s official court status. At the top of the right plate are the London addresses of the firm, reflecting its extensive presence in the capital.

A special place on the left register plate is occupied by the so-called “Robert FitzRoy words” — textual formulae developed by Admiral FitzRoy after many years of systematic weather observation. These formulae describe characteristic patterns of atmospheric behaviour under rising and falling pressure and represent an important historical layer in the development of practical meteorology, linking the barometer to early scientific attempts at weather forecasting.

Below the main barometric section, a long mercury thermometer is recessed into the case, protected by mineral glass set within neat wooden frames. The thermometer carries dual scales — Fahrenheit and Centigrade — engraved on an ivory plate. Attached to this plate is the glass thermometer tube with a distinctive, broad rectangular reservoir.

The Tube

Concealed within the solid case is the barometric tube, approximately 10 mm in diameter, with thick walls — a sign of the maker’s concern for stability and long-term durability of the readings. At the base of the tube is an unusually wide cistern, made of boxwood, considerably larger than those found in most comparable instruments. The cistern construction allows atmospheric air to enter freely while preventing the escape of mercury vapour. Its base is formed of leather, enabling the internal volume to be reduced by means of a screw integrated into the case — a thoughtful and important feature designed to ensure safe transport of the barometer.

Typography

The engraving of the register plates is conceived as a layered typographic composition in which each type style corresponds to a function: measurement, interpretation, authority. The left register plate is constructed as a typographic “text of observation”, where meaning is reinforced through differences in letterform. The large words RISES and FALLS are set with particular solemnity: they are decorative, heavy letters whose interiors are filled with small floral and foliate motifs, as if each letter encloses an ornamental garden — not mere hatching, but genuine vegetal ornament that creates a sense of volume and complex texture, like carved relief. Above and below these “principal” words appear the weather terms — COLD, DRY, LESS WIND, and then WARM, WET, MORE WIND — which are constructed differently. Their letterforms remain bold and expressive, but their internal filling is not floral; instead, it consists of hatching with characteristic diagonal lines that function as graphic shadow, creating depth not through ornament but through a “cut” tonal treatment, as if the letters were darkened by engraved shading. As a result, the plate reads as an alternation between two regimes: a “decorative-floral” one for the key verbs describing the movement of the column, and a “hatched” one for descriptive weather conditions, allowing the eye immediately to distinguish action (rise/fall) from consequences and states.

The right plate is typographically arranged as a showcase of forecast terms, each word assigned its own role. The most unusual is Change: it is not merely a word, but an extended calligraphic composition with active scrolls and elongated loops, almost an emblem within the scale, its stroke plasticity making it more animated and demonstrative than the neighbouring terms. Stormy is close in spirit to this demonstrativeness, yet reads as more Gothic: the letters show greater angularity and “medieval” severity, with stronger vertical emphasis and a sharper silhouette, making the word appear harsher and heavier than the flowing Change. Fair and Rain, by contrast, inhabit a different typographic world: they are noticeably more expansive and lush, with a sense of rich, ceremonial form — neither Gothic nor calligraphic-emblematic, but rather a sumptuous “display” lettering that appears more decorative and ornamental, as if intended less for warning than for expressive designation of weather state. Through this shift in character, four distinct typographic intonations coexist side by side: the elegant emblematic quality of Change, the severe Gothic tone of Stormy, and the lavish, decorative presence of Fair and Rain.

The numerical values of the barometric scale, by contrast, deliberately avoid this play of character. They are rendered in restrained, calm classical numerals, designed for immediate legibility, with an even, confident drawing and no decorative filling. Through their neutrality, they ground the entire typographic performance, returning the plate to its essential measuring function.

The typography of the upper part of the left register plate is tied to the firm’s attribution. The inscription NEGRETtI & ZAMBRA is executed not in a neutral business type, but in a richly decorative serif with pronounced relief. Each letter appears almost sculpted from ornament: the internal fields are filled with complex vegetal and scrollwork patterns reminiscent of engraved floral motifs typical of High Victorian ornamental graphics. These patterns do not merely embellish the letters but create an illusion of depth — darker areas forming internal shadow, so that the inscription seems slightly raised above the surface. The letter outlines remain clear and confident, without excessive angularity, distinguishing them from purely Gothic forms: this is a decorative serif, heavy and saturated, designed for visual dominance.

Below, in the line Inst. Makers to Her Majesty, the typographic character changes sharply. Here an elegant italic is used, with calligraphic plasticity, fine strokes, and pronounced contrast of thickness. This italic functions as a typographic bow — underscoring the firm’s court appointment and adding refinement and ceremonial grace. The letterforms are elongated, the connections smooth, without ornamental overload, creating a deliberate visual contrast with the dense, “carved” serif of the company name. This contrast is intentional: the weight of the maker’s name and the lightness of the court title act as two distinct typographic registers.

Conclusion

This Negretti & Zambra barometer stands as an outstanding example of a Victorian scientific instrument in which engineering precision, thoughtful functionality, and architectural expressiveness are unified into a single whole. Its scale, the complexity of its register system, and the richness of its decorative and textual programme allow it to be regarded not merely as a measuring device, but as a fully fledged object of scientific and artistic heritage from the late nineteenth century.