A Barometer is an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure and, accordingly, helps forecast the weather. They've been around for quite some time....
The story starts in the 16th Century when Italian clever-man Evangelista Torricelli is thought to have been the first person to recognise that the world’s atmosphere was not weightless but applied a force, now known as atmospheric pressure.
Only in the 18th Century was the link between atmospheric pressure and changing weather conditions noted. Water-filled “storm glass” barometers did what their name suggests and predicted impending storms.
The 19th century saw the development of the aneroid barometer which became widely used for meteorology and a popular accessory in the home. These aneroid barometers were produced in all manner of ornate designs in response to the insatiable British appetite for a topic of conversation, the use of umbrellas and organising picnics.
With the advent of improved satellite weather forecasting, barometers became more regarded as an instrument for an older generation with their natural interactions overshadowed in an ever digitalised world. Our Weather Clocks are a reaction against this and a celebration of the intricate mechanics of bygone eras brought up to date for the contemporary home.