Antique Storm Glass
These antique storm glass pieces combine practical weather forecasting with Victorian craftsmanship.
Antique Storm Glass
When you search for an antique storm glass, you are looking at nineteenth-century forecasting instruments and related glassware housed in timber, brass, and glass. The items on this page span the Victorian era, featuring barometers alongside various vessels and lamps.
Admiral Fitzroy barometers form a prominent part of these listings, often encased in carved oak. Alongside weather glasses, the selection includes glass vases, candle lamps, and lustres reflecting nineteenth-century design.
Materials and construction
Makers utilised clear, blown, cranberry, ruby, and soda glass combined with brass and carved oak. Paper details also appear within the barometer mountings.
Metal components involve turned brass, whilst wooden cases show Victorian carving work. Glass elements range from simple cylinders to cut glass and applied shades.
Antique Storm Glass Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for storm glass among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature nineteenth-century pieces combining glass, brass, and carved oak.
Quality and craftsmanship
Quality rests upon the execution of the timber casing and the clarity of the glass. Carved oak barometers by established instrument makers display superior woodwork compared to simpler pieces.
The sophistication of the brass mounts and the depth of the glass cutting distinguish finer examples from standard production.
J Hicks of London·Negretti & Zambra
The Antique Storm Glass Glossary
- Admiral Fitzroy Barometer
- A nineteenth-century weather forecasting instrument that uses chemical mixtures inside a glass vessel to predict atmospheric changes. These are typically housed in wall-mounted oak cases.
- Cranberry Glass
- A type of transparent red glass created by adding gold to the molten batch during production. It appears frequently in Victorian decorative table wares.
- Lustre
- A glass or ceramic vessel fitted with hanging glass prisms designed to reflect light. Victorian examples often incorporate brass elements and storm shades.
- Soda Glass
- Glass manufactured using sodium carbonate as a flux, common in mid-nineteenth-century vessels. It yields a characteristic greenish or clear tone.
Antique Storm Glass: Frequently Asked Questions
How does a storm glass work?
The sealed glass container holds a liquid mixture that responds to ambient atmospheric pressure and temperature changes.
Precipitation and crystal formation inside the vessel indicate shifts in the upcoming weather.
What periods do these pieces date from?
The available selection dates primarily from the nineteenth century during the Victorian era.
Specific dates within the listings range across the eighteen-fifties, eighties, and nineteen hundred.
What materials were used for the cases?
Barometers and instruments are typically housed in carved oak cases featuring paper scales.
Other related items combine brass frames with blown, cut, or coloured glass components.
Are all these items weather barometers?
No, while Admiral Fitzroy barometers form a core category, the selection includes varied glassware.
Listings also feature Victorian vases, candle holders, table lamps, and lanterns with glass chimneys.