Sale
16818 - Fine Clocks & Barometers, 7 Jul 2009
New Bond Street
Lot No: 8
A fine and possibly unique mid 18th century mahogany wall barometer
Benjamin Huntsman, Doncaster
The case is surmounted by three gadrooned-ball and spire finials on an intricately moulded caddy top set on a concave cresting over an arch on four gilt metal-mounted Doric three-quarter and quarter-columns, the trunk with solid mahogany front terminating in a square base with elaborately moulded and stepped lower section with dependent brass knob for adjustment of the recording hand, The 8 inch arched brass dial bordered by an engraved stylised wheatear border signed in a circular silvered boss in copperplate script 'Benjamin/Huntsman/Doncaster', flanked by quarter-spandrels depicting Indian heads in profile within foliate scrolls the corner spandrels cast as female heads within foliate scrolls, enclosing the silvered chapter ring with outer scale ranging from 1 to 36, the inner section of the ring engraved with the seven weather predictions; 'Tempestuous; Much Rain, Wind or Snow; Rain, Wind or Snow; Changeable; Fair or Frost; Settled Fair or Frost' and 'Very Dry', the dial centre decorated with a series of engraved foliate scrolls and centred by the head of Diana with the crescent moon above her head, the blued steel recording hand with extended tip to point to the edge of the concentric scale, the other hand in lacquered brass and pierced in a highly intricate pattern of asymmetric scrolls,
The movement is, like the rest of this wonderful instrument, a highly developed form of the 18th century standard type; it is revealed on opening the half-inch-thick, solid oak rear door, the glass tube with an outer diameter of 11mm (7/16ths of an inch) terminating in a straight sided cistern with outer diameter of 23mm (11/12ths of an inch), the glass float in the shape of a 'torpedo', partially filled with mercury and retaining an open filling aperture and integral suspension loop, the counter weight of a similar, elongated form, each weight attached via cotton thread to a thin brass rod connected via a 'keyhole' fitting to a circular brass toothed wheel, meshing with a six leaf pinion carrying the indicating hand; the blued steel recording hand is adjusted via a turned brass knob at the base connected to a steel rod 1.26m (4ft 2in) long steel rod running up inside the case and terminating in a contrate wheel connected to the recording hand wheel. 1.83m (6ft) high.
Sold for £33,600 inclusive of Buyer's Premium
 Pre-register to bid in the auction saleroom on the day in person
|
View all items that were in the Sale
Contact the Specialist to discuss selling in a future
sale
Email: James Stratton
Tel: 020 7468 8364
Footnote:
Benjamin Huntsman (1704-1776), a Quaker clockmaker, is primarily known today for his pioneering work on the steel manufacturing process. He was the first to cast steel into ingots, using clay crucibles that could withstand the very high tempertures needed. The result was a well mixed, predictable material, precisely what was needed in the horological world, going into the 18th century when a desire for accuracy became ever more prevalent. Hunstmans work transformed the English steel industry and even in the 20th century, his contribution has not been forgotten, a statue commemorating his life stands to this day in the Meadow Hall centre in Sheffield.
Huntsman was apprenticed in 1718 to a local clockmaker for a premium of £4 and after seven years was able to establish his own clockmaking workshop in Doncaster. His work must have been well regarded as within two years he was appointed to look after the town clock and when that was replaced in 1735, he was asked to continue his work for the townspeople.
It is said that it was his dissatisfaction with the quality of the steel needed for his horological work that led him to experiment with his own production methods. Traditionally, steel had been made by forging bars together but this had the problem of creating a metal that was not uniform throughout - this flaw was particularly serious when the steel was going on to produce springs. Huntsman would have used either locally made steel or 'German Steel' made by the same process and exported down the Rhine.
It is not known how he split his time between horology and metallurgy, but he is referred to in the records of the Cutlers Company of Hallamshire for 1750. He had moved to the outskirts of Sheffield in 1742, still carrying out horological work, he moved closer to the industrial hub in 1751 when he officially set up as a producer of steel. Huntsman never sought to patent his process and when details of it became known, visitors approached him for, and were usually given an audience - in 1761, the Swedish engineer Ludwig Robsahm visited and in 1765 the Frenchman Gabriel Jars also saw at first hand the processes involved.
Bearing in mind that Huntsman was in Doncaster from 1725 to 1742, it would be sensible to assume that this barometer can be dated to this 17-year period. The style of barometer with its longcase-clock-type case is more commonly associated with the maker John Halifax of Barnsley. Barnsley lies just 15 miles west of Doncaster and it is likely that Hunstman would have seen barometers made by Halifax on his travels.
A longcase clock by him was offered in these rooms on 17th June 2003. The movement of the clock displayed quite exceptional attention to detail; the pin wheel was set with rollers instead of pins and even the bell strike was set on a roller bearing. Another longcase clock is known that has a steel plate set into the backboard of the case.
|
|