Barometers Realm

Our history of Short & Mason has been rewritten from the ground up. The founders’ biographies are reconstructed for the first time, the firm’s two forgotten predecessor partnerships are documented, and several dates that have circulated for decades in the trade are corrected against primary sources.

A late 19th-century French aneroid barometer has joined the collection, accompanied by a new history of the Société des Lunetiers.

A rare Universal Barometer of c.1900 has joined the collection, together with a new history of its Manchester retailer, A. Franks Ltd.

The catalogue entry for our early-18th-century Hanekam-decorated donderglas has been rewritten and expanded, with new photographs added — including images under ultraviolet light.

A precision eight-inch mine surveying aneroid by C. F. Casella & Co. Ltd., London, made around 1950, has been added to the collection. Built for barometric levelling underground, it reads to 0.01 inHg and combines a deep convex beryllium bronze capsule, a full-disc anti-parallax mirror and a movable reading lens.

Our page on the London optician J. H. Steward has been completely rewritten. What was a short brand note is now a full history of the firm — from its foundation in 1852 to its closure in 1975 — with a founder's biography, a dated chronology of shop addresses for use in dating instruments, the firm's patents, and an annotated list of sources.

A circa 1960 Pilot Wheel Barometer by Lufft, produced for the American market, has been added to the collection. Its ship’s-wheel case, open-dial construction, chain-driven aneroid movement, and unusual uranium-bearing vitreous-enamel dial make it one of the more distinctive export models of the period.

A circa 1950 Weekly Barograph by Jules Richard, type NG 5309-2-1, has been added to the collection. The instrument combines a ten-capsule aneroid movement with a weekly recording drum, four-sided glazing, and several practical refinements developed for professional meteorological use.

A new work on the Eiffel Tower’s decades as a meteorological and geophysical station — equipped by the same Maison Richard whose instruments fill my collection.

A rare Ivory Register-Plate Cistern Barometer, made by Carpenter & Westley in London around 1850, has been added to the collection. Its detailed catalogue entry is accompanied by a newly published history of the celebrated Regent Street firm, best known for optical instruments, kaleidoscopes and phantasmagoria lanterns.

The search page has been rebuilt as a catalogue browser: seven filters — maker, country, material, movement, condition, category and date — each carrying the number of instruments standing behind it, and a text search that understands word forms, partial words and a misspelt maker's name.

The historical profile of Stäcker & Olms has been thoroughly revised and expanded, tracing the Hamburg firm from its foundation in 1882, through four generations of owners, to the surviving SundO mark of today.

The most instinctive act of care a collector can offer an antique instrument — a drop of oil — is also the commonest cause of death among aneroid barometers. In a new illustrated essay, Leo Shirokov traces the lubrication problem from the watchmaker's bench to the conservator's table and explains why an instrument built by the means of horology must be serviced by the rules of metrology.

The historical profile of Negretti & Zambra has been extensively revised and expanded, offering a deeper look into the company’s origins, scientific achievements, royal appointments, international exhibitions, and lasting influence on the development of meteorological and scientific instruments.

The Barometers Realm website has undergone a complete redesign, introducing a more modern interface, new sections including Essays, Ephemera, and an integrated Shop, along with significantly enhanced collection pages featuring interactive high-resolution image galleries with zoom functionality.