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Object Overview
The mid 20th century thermohygrograph is an instrument that embodies both the precision of engineering and the elegance of mechanics, gracefully encased in a pristine white metal housing with a panoramic glass panel. This glass surface stretches almost the entire length of the casing, like a window into the hidden wonders of mechanics, revealing not only the drum that holds the paper charts but also the inner architecture of the device, where every detail serves the purpose of precise measurement.
The brass drum, like a rotating frame of time, is powered by an eight-day clock mechanism, securely holding the charts with a delicate brass clamp. This is not merely a functional element — it signifies that the maker strove for a balance where practicality didn’t detract from the elegance of the instrument. While the device retains a strictly utilitarian form, the two levers with writing pens, like the skilled hands of an artist, simultaneously record humidity and temperature readings on a single chart, creating a synchronized interaction between two natural phenomena. Their graphs intersect, forming a picture that is almost painterly in its scientific precision.
The hygrometer in this instrument employs the hygroscopic properties of synthetic hair, which, like the sensitive fibers of nature, responds to even the slightest changes in air humidity. These delicate yet reliable strands are tucked just beneath the casing, which is slightly elevated on metal legs, as if to allow the hair to interact freely with the surrounding air while remaining sheltered within the device’s metallic shell.
112BTI/1
bi-metallic
brass, glass, iron, steel
Temperature is recorded using a bimetallic thermometer, where two metals — brass and invar — are intertwined, each reacting to temperature changes in its own way. Their interaction, like the tense dance of two partners with different rhythms, creates a movement so precise that even the slightest shifts are captured flawlessly. This technological union of two metals not only showcases engineering precision but also symbolizes the continuous harmony between nature and science.
The Thermohygrograph is not merely a measuring instrument. It is a subtle, restrained masterpiece, where each element is devoted to a single purpose — to capture the invisible fluctuations of air and temperature with an almost artistic precision, transforming scientific data into a true work of technical art.