Accession No

2337

Brief Description

saccharometer and proof rule, by Joshua Long, English, 1/2 19th Century

Origin

England; London

Maker

Long, Joshua

Class

weights & measures

Earliest Date

1800

Latest Date

1850

Inscription Date

Material

wood (boxwood and two other types); metal (brass, steel); cloth (velvet, silk, cotton stuffing)

Dimensions

box length 242mm; breadth 106mm; height 51mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Sotherby's Belgravia, London, England; lot 225, 21/12/1977.

Inscription

‘No. 5991
Patent Improved
SACCHAROMETER
BY JOSH LONG
LONDON’ (lid of box)
‘J LONG * LONDON’ (proof rule)

Description Notes

Brass brewing hydrometer, aka saccharometer, by Joshua Long, English, 1/2 19th C.

Saccharometer scale divided 0 - 10, numbered by 1. Weights slip over top of hydrometer. Five extant weights (out of 9), numbered 0, 10, 30, 40, 60. All stamped with serial number 5991.

Boxwood proof rule (2337A) with brass bindings. Obverse: upper part of stock has scale marked ‘C’, divided [23] - 120, numbered 25, 30, 40...120, subdivided to 1. Slide has two scales: first divided 5 - 3[0], numbered by 10, subdivided to 1; second divided 20 - 120, numbered by 10, subdivided to 1. Lower part of stock has scale identical to that on upper part. Reverse: upper part of stock has scale marked ‘D’, divided 50 - 200 (?), numbered by 10, subdivided to 1; also scale divided [0] - 4, numbered by 1, subdivided to 0.05. Slide carries scale divided 20 - 100, numbered by 10; 20 - 60 subdivided to 0.02, remainder subdivided to 1. Lower part of stock carries scale identical to that on reverse on stock.
Fitted wooden box with brass hinges and hook fasteners; lined with claret velvet and silk (silk lining is torn, showing cotton stuffing underneath).

Condition good (except box, which is cracked); incomplete (some weights, thermometer, and thermometric rule all missing).

References

Events