Edwardian Thermometer
An edwardian thermometer brings domestic science into the home, combining precision instruments with rich timber cases.
Edwardian Thermometer
When you search for an edwardian thermometer, you encounter multifunctional meteorological instruments integrated into larger wooden housings or combined with barometers and clocks. These objects served both a practical domestic purpose and a decorative function in the home during the early twentieth century.
The version you are most likely to meet on this page is the banjo or wall-hanging barometer featuring an embedded thermometer scale alongside the main dial. Such pieces emerge frequently from the Edwardian period, often constructed from oak or mahogany with subtle inlay work.
Beyond wall-hanging banjo styles, the selection includes desk instruments, mantel clocks with attached dials, and specialised barographs incorporating thermometer strips. Materials span glass and brass mounted in polished hardwoods, reflecting the period's domestic aesthetic.
How they were made
Cases rely heavily on timbers such as oak, mahogany, walnut, and rosewood, frequently enhanced with boxwood inlay, satinwood, or elaborate carving. Woodworkers shaped these materials into architectural wall pieces, banjo frames, and desk clock housings.
Internal mechanics depend on brass components, delicate glass capillary tubes containing mercury or spirit, and bevelled glass plates protecting paper charts or porcelain scales. Instrument makers utilised metal dials and brass bezels to frame the functional readouts cleanly.
Edwardian Thermometer Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for edwardian thermometer 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.
The selection spans compact desk clocks, architectural obelisk thermometers, and complex recording barographs with chart drawers.
What varies in quality
The standard of cabinetwork dictates much of the distinction across these pieces, separating simple utilitarian housings from elaborate marquetry-inlaid frames with hand-carved details. Superior examples display crisp joinery, well-figured veneers, and finely detailed boxwood stringing.
The reputation of the maker and the crispness of the engraved or printed thermometer scale further divide the range. Signed brass plates from established scientific makers indicate higher workshop standards than unsigned, mass-produced alternatives.
Short and Mason·G and L Guanziroli·Negretti and Zambra·Jules Richard·James Murray
The Edwardian Thermometer Glossary
- Aneroid barometer
- An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure without liquids, using a flexible metal box that expands or contracts as pressure changes. This mechanism forms the central dial on many combined thermometer wall pieces.
- Barograph
- A recording meteorological instrument that plots barometric pressure continuously onto a paper chart fitted to a revolving drum. These mechanical units frequently incorporate a thermometer alongside the recording cylinder.
- Marquetry
- The art of applying pieces of veneer to a structural structure to form decorative patterns or pictures. Edwardian instrument cases often display geometric banding or floral motifs in contrasting woods.
- Banjo barometer
- A wall-hanging weather glass housed in a case shaped like a banjo, typically featuring a hygrometer or thermometer at the top and a large circular dial below.
- Bevelled glass
- Glass with an edge that has been cut and polished to an angle thinner than the rest of the pane. This treatment adds a refined finish to instrument doors and dial covers.
Edwardian Thermometer: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a banjo barometer?
A banjo barometer is a wall-mounted weather instrument housed within a distinctive, curved wooden case resembling a stringed banjo.
These pieces typically combine multiple instruments, mounting a thermometer at the top and an aneroid or mercury dial at the base.
How do you read an aneroid thermometer?
An aneroid thermometer relies on internal mechanical elements rather than liquid expansion to register ambient temperature variations.
Readings are taken directly from the marked scale on the brass or porcelain dial face mounted within the timber case.
Where were these instruments placed?
These domestic instruments hung in hallways, libraries, and principal living rooms where household occupants checked the weather before going out.
Smaller desk versions sat upon library tables or writing desks alongside matching clocks and inkwells.
How do you care for a wood case?
Wooden cases require stable indoor environments away from direct heat sources and extreme humidity fluctuations to protect the veneer.
Dust the polished oak or mahogany surfaces gently with a dry cloth and avoid applying modern liquid polishes.