Diagonal barometer and thermometer 1710 - 1720

John Patrick crafted this diagonal barometer and thermometer at an unknown date, employing wood and glass. The Georgian era, in which Patrick lived, emphasized rationality, and scientific inquiry. Barometers and thermometers weren’t just scientific instruments; they were symbols of enlightenment ideals that permeated society. But who had access to such knowledge and symbols? These items were typically commissioned by the wealthy, making them, in effect, class markers. The craftsmanship involved, the materials used - these all spoke to a world of privilege and power. What's fascinating is how an object intended to measure and understand the natural world also reflected the social hierarchies of its time. The barometer then becomes a silent observer of both atmospheric pressure and societal pressures. Consider the emotional dimensions of weather and measurement in this era and ask yourself, whose lives were most affected by the cold, by the rain, by the shifting winds?