Modernist Weather Station Joins the Collection
A mid-century Förster weather station joins the collection, accompanied by a detailed history of the German instrument manufacturer.
The collection welcomes a Modernist Weather Station, manufactured around 1965 by Arthur J. Förster in Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany. Combining an aneroid barometer and a mercury thermometer, the instrument features a rectangular wooden case, an elegant square dial with dual pressure scales, and distinctive brass fittings. Its Dutch-language weather indications suggest that it was originally intended for export to the Netherlands or Belgium.
The addition is accompanied by a comprehensive history of Arthur J. Förster, tracing the company’s development from its origins in Chemnitz through its expansion as a manufacturer of meteorological and precision measuring instruments, its operations during the East German period, and its subsequent transformation.
Together, the new collection entry and the expanded company history offer an insight into German instrument-making and the evolution of domestic meteorological instruments during the 20th century.