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Object Overview
This Ships’ Aneroid Barometer, dating to circa 1880, was produced by the renowned English firm Negretti & Zambra and features a solid oak case with a distinctive carved ropework pattern that immediately draws attention.
The cream-colored dial is made of porcelain and exhibits a characteristic craquelure glaze. At its center is a decorative element — a stylized eight-petal rosette rendered in black transfer technique, finely detailed with ornamental shading.
The concentric barometric scale is calibrated in London inches of mercury, marked down to five-hundredths of an inch (lines). Surrounding it are bold and ornate weather indications, engraved in a Gothic-style serif with Victorian flair — each initial letter highlighted in red. The word “Change” is presented in flowing English calligraphy, adorned with flourishes and decorative filigree.
Additionally, the dial includes the famous textual weather notes attributed to Admiral Robert FitzRoy, designed to interpret a “rising” or “falling” barometer for forecasting weather conditions.
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aneroid capsule tensioned on a C-spring
brass, carved wood, glass, porcelain
The dial is protected by a heavy beveled crystal set in a solid brass bezel. A knurled brass set knob, passing through the central hole in the glass, adjusts the reference pointer. The main indicating hand is crafted from blued steel and shaped with a crescent counterweight.
The barometer is powered by a conventional movement tensioned on a C-spring, driven by a sensitive aneroid capsule whose subtle expansion and contraction is transmitted via a lever system to the pointer shaft. The construction and finish of the movement reflect the technical excellence characteristic of instruments by Negretti & Zambra.
This barometer is a fine example of late Victorian instrument making — functional, elegant, and full of richly executed design details, it captures both the aesthetic and scientific ambitions of its era.