Table Barometer Retailed by Moody Bell c1880 – SOLD
Aneroid barometer having silvered and engraved semi-circular dial presented as a formal arch raised on columns. The upper part with barometric range calibrated in inches of mercury from 28 – 31 and divided down to 1/50ths”, with standard meteorological terms arranged below, signed by the retailer “W. Moody Bell, Cheltenham,” finely engraved florally themed borders. The mid/lower part with twin scrolls entitled “Rise” and “Fall” together with appropriate weather prognostications, the centre and lower part with finely engraved designs surmounted at the centre with a fleur de lys. The lower border with “Registered No 276,” further annotated at left “Long Foretold Long Last, Short Notice Soon Past,” and to the right “First Rise after Low Foretels a Stronger Blow,” blued steel pointer and gilt index, all beneath a heavy bevelled glass. Standard 2¼” capsule driven movement tensioned on a C spring, with bi-metallic compensation.
The whole set within a well executed carved mahogany case raised on a plinth, having vacant silver plate. The verso with applied paper chart having annotations in pencil relating to pressure readings taken from 1904 and 1915. Calibration port.
The barometer presents very well: the dial with obvious signs of age though fundamentally crisp, some losses particularly to the lower left column, the mahogany case in good condition with good figure and colour, some signs of shrinkage, minor marks, impressions and abrasions. The barometer, the subject of a full service and performance test (see below) exhibits good progression and quite acceptable accuracy. The pointer and index replaced, the movement substantially re-built.
How do you make a barometer appear a little different? Well, a dial like this is certainly most unusual, and would have required many man hours to create – this is a fine piece work by any standards. Unusually, the toils of the various craftsmen have rendered a piece with really fine aesthetic properties (not always the case!) and a design considered important enough to be registered.
A rare and aesthetically compelling piece, something that would settle nicely into the finest of surroundings.
Dimensions: 12″ wide x 13″ high x 3¼” deep
Stock No: BA1126
Price: SOLD
