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Barometer
Quare, Daniel, born 1648 - died 1724 - Enlarge image
Barometer
- Place of origin:
London, England (made)
- Date:
ca. 1700 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Quare, Daniel, born 1648 - died 1724 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Turned ivory, ebonised wood and engraved brass
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons
- Museum number:
W.64-1926
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56d, case 5
Object Type
A barometer, or weather glass as it was also known at the time, measures atmospheric pressure by means of mercury in a long glass tube. Barometers were invented in 1643 and began to appear in English houses in the late 17th century. Portable barometers were designed to be hung on the wall or had collapsible brass tripod feet enabling them to stand on a table.
Design & Designing
In 1695 Daniel Quare applied for and was granted the first patent on the construction of portable barometers. Members of the Royal Society, the most eminent learned institution in Britain, were impressed by his design, which 'inverted without spilling the quick silver, or letting in any air, or excluding the pressure of the atmosphere'. It is likely that the idea came from a description of a portable barometer by Joachim d'Alsace published in Holland in 1688. Thomas Tompion, the leading English clockmaker of the period, also produced portable barometers and should be given some of the credit for their development.
People
A similar ivory-cased example, with weather indications in both French and English, is in the King's Bedroom, Hampton Court Palace. It was made for William III, for whom Quare made at least two other barometers.
