Accession No
4597
Brief Description
Hygrometer / weather-indicator, French, 19th C
Origin
France
Maker
Class
meteorology
Earliest Date
1800
Latest Date
1900
Inscription Date
Material
metal (pewter?); paper
Dimensions
height 230mm; diameter of base 65mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased on 01/03/1997.
Inscription
‘Observatoire de la Tour Pointue MADE IN FRANCE Modele Déposé’ (on the base rim)
Description Notes
Hygrometer in form of castle turret, with details of stone work and roof slates. There are four windows and one doorway/entrance. These are all open apertures which measure the temperature/humidity etc to give comment on the weather condition. The castle is hollow and contains a cylinder that has paper words and figures pasted to it. This is suspended by some form of hygroscopic element (hair?) that rotates due to changes in humidity. As a result the cylinder rotates within the castle to give ‘Beau’, ‘Variable’ and ‘Pluie’ at the window above the entrance to the tower. Within this entrance a lady in period costume (flowing gowns) stands when ‘Beau’ is showing, a question mark for ‘Variable’ and a man for ‘Pluie’. To the side of the castle two other windows show blank paper for Beau; as Variable and Pluie appear vertical lines increase in the aperture. Small window near top of tower shows scale divided X - 0 - X, numbered by V, subdivided to 1. Peak of roof acts as calibration adjustment mechanism. Hygrometer element (not identified) concealed within model tower.
Condition good; complete.
References
Events
Description
‘Observatoire de la Tour Pointu’. This French ornamental weather indicator is actually a hygrometer, that is, an instrument to show the relative moisture or humidity of the air. The turret has windows and a door to allow air to flow around the internal element, which is hygroscopic (meaning that it readily absorbs water from the air). The element is attached to a cylinder labelled (in French) ‘Fine’, ‘Changeable’ and ‘Rain’; a change in moisture absorbed by the element causes it (and thus also the cylinder) to rotate accordingly to display the appropriate word in the upper window. Low humidity forecasting fine weather brings a lady in flowing gown to the door. When the humidity rises and rain is forecast she is replaced by the figure of a man. Windows at the side of the turret indicate humidity with increasing numbers of vertical lines and a scale marked from X (ten) to 0 to X can be seen near the top of the tower.
26/03/2008
Created by: Dr. Anita McConnell on 26/03/2008
FM:40343
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