The
barometer
First rise after low, Foretells stronger blow
Long foretold long last, Short notice soon past
These words
of early meteorologist Admiral Fitzroy adorn one of the fascinating
range of antique barometers on show at the Albion Clocks gallery
on Grove Hill.
Devised first in C17th Florence, barometers came into domestic use
in the 1860s and are still to be found and used in many a home today.
Colin
Bent is an enthusiast about these instruments, which are not just
of practical use, but elegant and decorative too. “They’re
extremely entertaining. You can set them up at night and see immediately
in the morning if there’s a been a weather change. Children
adore them. They can easily be taught to adjust and read them. They
don’t need batteries either!”
There are basically 2 kinds of barometer, the mercury and the aneroid
(liquid-free). Both perform the same function of reading the atmospheric
pressure of the air which decreases according to height above sea
level and which is affected also by temperature.
‘Fitzroy’ barometers usually also feature a thermometer
and old-fashioned ‘storm glass’ where chemical crystals
in liquid turn murky in reaction to changes in air pressure.
Did you know that mercury is used in barometers because it expands
relatively little with pressure or temperature. If water were used
instead, the column in a barometer would have to be 34 feet high!)
In Colin’s studio you will find fine examples of the ‘banjo’
style barometer and the ‘stick’ barometer, the two most
popular shapes over the years.
