Open Faced 8" Aneroid Barometer for John Blake Ltd c.1890

A good late 19th Century French-made 8” open faced aneroid barometer supplied to John Blake c.1890. Aneroid barometer having 7¾” bevelled glass back-printed dial with standard meteorological terms to the periphery, inner barometric scale calibrated in inches of mercury with a range from 28” – 31” divided to 1/20th. Lower part signed “John Blake, Oxford St Works.” Blued steel pointer and gilt index. One piece silvered conical reflector, display movement of conventional form with high finished component parts driven from a single 2¾” nickel silver capsule. The whole maintained within an “O” – “G” section lacquered brass case, pendant and suspension ring, calibration port to verso. Condition: The subject of a full service, conservation, and calibration under laboratory conditions, see performance chart from dynamic test. The movement working exceptionally well across the pressure range. The dial glass clean and retaining much of the original applied graphics, the movement retaining virtually all its original lacquered and blued finish, the outer case retaining some original finish, patinated overall. Comments: Relatively few of these open faced aneroid barometers survive in this condition. The larger sized 8” aneroids are particularly hard to find in this form and condition. The instrument of French manufacture, probably Naudet or Casse, is of fine quality, with much attention paid to detail in finishing of the movement such as the blued screws, making this an aesthetically most attractive item. John Blake Ltd was a well-regarded engineering firm, and makers of Blake’s Hydrams – a very efficient hydraulic ram water pump, of which several examples were installed in the gardens at the Taj Mahal. The firm was based at Oxford Street Works in Accrington, Lancashire, 20 miles north of Manchester. It is likely that this barometer was a marketing piece, given to favoured customers and suppliers. A lovely instrument for the home or collection alike.