Antique Thermometers
In an otherwise mercurial economy, the popularity of antique thermometers as a collector's item is steadily rising. Just about everyone has used a thermometer at one time or another, but for collectors the appeal lies in the thermometer's combination of form and function. An antique thermometer is more than a weather instrument; it is a work of art and a piece of history.
Scientists were experimenting with thermometers as early as the seventeenth century. Two hundred years later, the thermometer had gained widespread public appeal. By the end of the 1800s; they had evolved into two main types, liquid-in-a-tube instruments and the metal-expansion forms where temperature is displayed on a dial. Ornately designed thermometers were popular in both wall mounted and desktop styles.
Scientists were experimenting with thermometers as early as the seventeenth century. Two hundred years later, the thermometer had gained widespread public appeal. By the end of the 1800s; they had evolved into two main types, liquid-in-a-tube instruments and the metal-expansion forms where temperature is displayed on a dial. Ornately designed thermometers were popular in both wall mounted and desktop styles.
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After World War I, thermometers caught on as all the rage in the world of advertising. Many good specimens of this period survive and are still promoting an array of goods from soft drinks to cigarettes to top hats to seed corn. Unlike many of their predecessors, most of these thermometers were meant to be used outdoors.
Another category of vintage thermometers is comprised of medical and scientific instruments. These antique laboratory thermometers were usually calibrated in the Centigrade scale. Some of the specialized thermometers could record temperatures in excess of 540° (1000° F).
Thermometers are a nice size for handling and they are still an affordable investment, but perhaps one of the nicest perks of collecting them is that most antique thermometers are still functioning.
Another category of vintage thermometers is comprised of medical and scientific instruments. These antique laboratory thermometers were usually calibrated in the Centigrade scale. Some of the specialized thermometers could record temperatures in excess of 540° (1000° F).
Thermometers are a nice size for handling and they are still an affordable investment, but perhaps one of the nicest perks of collecting them is that most antique thermometers are still functioning.