Y A VICTORIAN ROSEWOOD MERCURY WHEEL BAROMETER WITH SIX-INCH DIAL

Y A VICTORIAN ROSEWOOD MERCURY WHEEL BAROMETER WITH SIX-INCH DIALAdie, Liverpool, circa 1850The 6 inch concentric collar-centred circular silvered register signed ADIE, Optician, Liverpool within scale calibrated in barometric inches and with the usual observations within cast brass convex glazed bezel, the case with leaf carved crest over slender scroll-edged trunk applied with a bowfronted glazed silvered Centigrade scale mercury thermometer, the shaped base with recording hand setting key flanked by further C-scrolls.96.5cm (38ins) high. Provenance: The Selwyn Demmy Collection. Richard Adie was the son of the celebrated Scottish instruments maker Alexander Adie who is recorded in Goodison, Nicholas English BAROMETERS 1680-1860 as born 1774 and apprenticed to his uncle, the eminent Scottish instrument maker John Miller, in 1789. Alexander Adie was particularly noted for his meteorological instruments and is perhaps best known as the inventor of the Sympiesometer in 1818. In recognition of his work he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1819. He was appointed optician to William IV and later Queen Victoria and took one of his sons, John, into partnership in 1835. Two of his other sons set up businesses; Richard (the maker of the current lot) in Liverpool form 1837 and Patrick in London from 1846. Unfortunately John Adie was prone to fits of despondency' which resulted in him shooting himself in 1857, Alexander Adie died the following year - no doubt expediated by the stress of his son's demise. Richard Adie subsequently spent a lot of time in Edinburgh looking after the business of Adie and Son up until his death in 1881.Condition Report: Tube is filled with no obvious airlocks, the float mechanism etc is intact and operational however will require setting-up/calibration. The dial/register is in fine condition with no visible faults and the setting hand mechanism is operational. The thermometer is in fine condition. The case is in fine condition with the only notable fault being a small section of half-round moulding missing from the lower edge of the right hand side of the pediment. The upper hinge of the rear door has become detached from the door however this does not prevent the door from being secured shut. Faults are otherwise very much limited to very minor bumps, scuffs and other vert slight age related blemishes. Condition Report Disclaimer