A RARE REGENCY MAHOGANY WHEEL BAROMETER BY ALBERTO BIOLETTI ...
Hammer
£240
A RARE REGENCY MAHOGANY WHEEL BAROMETER BY ALBERTO BIOLETTI OF WINCANTON
The figured mahogany case with broken-scroll pediment and brass urn finial, enclosing a hygrometer, mercury thermometer with engraved Fahrenheit scale and weather observations, and a large silvered barometer dial inscribed with the usual weather indications and signed on an inset silvered plate “Bioletti, Wincanton”, circa 1816–1840.
Alberto Bioletti (1778–1869) was an Italian-born soldier who served in Napoleon’s forces, campaigning across Europe, Egypt, the West Indies and Russia. Captured during the Napoleonic Wars, he was brought to England and eventually held on parole at Wincanton, where he met and married Mary Feltham in 1807. Following further military service and captivity in Russia, Bioletti returned permanently to Wincanton with his family after Napoleon’s defeat.
He established himself in South Street as a skilled engineer, clockmaker, watch repairer and maker of barometers, while also working as a barber, dentist and craftsman. He remained associated with Wincanton for approximately 45 years and is now recognised as one of the town’s most remarkable early-19th-century residents. The Wincanton Museum and History Society records him specifically as a maker of clocks and barometers, and his extraordinary life has been documented in John Baxter’s Surviving Napoleon: The Clockmaker’s Tale.
CONDITION: The mercury and associated tubes to the rear appear intact and in good condition, although the instrument has not been tested for accuracy or operation. The glass over the principal wheel dial requires refixing and sealing within its brass bezel. The upper cornice requires minor repair, although all detached elements appear to be present. The circular brass-mounted hygrometer near the top is loose and requires securing. General tarnishing, spotting and wear to the silvered surfaces, together with marks, scratches and age-related wear to the mahogany case. Contains mercury and may therefore be subject to transport restrictions.
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CONDITION: The mercury and associated tubes to the rear appear intact and in good condition, although the instrument has not been tested for accuracy or operation. The glass over the principal wheel dial requires refixing and sealing within its brass bezel. The upper cornice requires minor repair, although all detached elements appear to be present. The circular brass-mounted hygrometer near the top is loose and requires securing. General tarnishing, spotting and wear to the silvered surfaces, together with marks, scratches and age-related wear to the mahogany case. Contains mercury and may therefore be subject to transport restrictions.
Hammer
£240
A RARE REGENCY MAHOGANY WHEEL BAROMETER BY ALBERTO BIOLETTI OF WINCANTON
The figured mahogany case with broken-scroll pediment and brass urn finial, enclosing a hygrometer, mercury thermometer with engraved Fahrenheit scale and weather observations, and a large silvered barometer dial inscribed with the usual weather indications and signed on an inset silvered plate “Bioletti, Wincanton”, circa 1816–1840.
Alberto Bioletti (1778–1869) was an Italian-born soldier who served in Napoleon’s forces, campaigning across Europe, Egypt, the West Indies and Russia. Captured during the Napoleonic Wars, he was brought to England and eventually held on parole at Wincanton, where he met and married Mary Feltham in 1807. Following further military service and captivity in Russia, Bioletti returned permanently to Wincanton with his family after Napoleon’s defeat.
He established himself in South Street as a skilled engineer, clockmaker, watch repairer and maker of barometers, while also working as a barber, dentist and craftsman. He remained associated with Wincanton for approximately 45 years and is now recognised as one of the town’s most remarkable early-19th-century residents. The Wincanton Museum and History Society records him specifically as a maker of clocks and barometers, and his extraordinary life has been documented in John Baxter’s Surviving Napoleon: The Clockmaker’s Tale.
CONDITION: The mercury and associated tubes to the rear appear intact and in good condition, although the instrument has not been tested for accuracy or operation. The glass over the principal wheel dial requires refixing and sealing within its brass bezel. The upper cornice requires minor repair, although all detached elements appear to be present. The circular brass-mounted hygrometer near the top is loose and requires securing. General tarnishing, spotting and wear to the silvered surfaces, together with marks, scratches and age-related wear to the mahogany case. Contains mercury and may therefore be subject to transport restrictions.
More Information
CONDITION: The mercury and associated tubes to the rear appear intact and in good condition, although the instrument has not been tested for accuracy or operation. The glass over the principal wheel dial requires refixing and sealing within its brass bezel. The upper cornice requires minor repair, although all detached elements appear to be present. The circular brass-mounted hygrometer near the top is loose and requires securing. General tarnishing, spotting and wear to the silvered surfaces, together with marks, scratches and age-related wear to the mahogany case. Contains mercury and may therefore be subject to transport restrictions.
