Measuring & Mapping

Where, how far, and how much? People have invented an astonishing array of devices to answer seemingly simple questions like these. Measuring and mapping objects in the Museum's collections include the instruments of the famous—Thomas Jefferson's thermometer and a pocket compass used by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their expedition across the American West. A timing device was part of the pioneering motion studies of Eadweard Muybridge in the late 1800s. Time measurement is represented in clocks from simple sundials to precise chronometers for mapping, surveying, and finding longitude. Everyday objects tell part of the story, too, from tape measures and electrical meters to more than 300 scales to measure food and drink. Maps of many kinds fill out the collections, from railroad surveys to star charts.

Brass instrument, 5½ inches diameter and 2¼ inches deep, with a printed paper face that reads “BAROMÈTRE DE PRÉCISON / POUR STATIONS MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES” and “ALVERGNIAT FRES 10. R.
Description
Brass instrument, 5½ inches diameter and 2¼ inches deep, with a printed paper face that reads “BAROMÈTRE DE PRÉCISON / POUR STATIONS MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES” and “ALVERGNIAT FRES 10. R. de la Sorbonne” and “BREVETÉ S.G.D.G.” The latter indicates that this instrument, or some part thereof, was covered by a French patent. The pressure scale reads from 700 to 790 cm of mercury, by centimeters. There are also words for weather conditions, in French.
This came to the Smithsonian in 1910, a transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior. It had probably been collected by the short-lived federal Bureau of Education.
Alvergniat Frères were in business in Paris from 1858 until after 1900, manufacturing a wide range of scientific instruments.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
/Alvergniat Freres
ID Number
PH.261256
accession number
51116
catalog number
261256
This instrument is 5¼ inches diameter and 3¼ inches deep. The inscriptions on the face read “R. / FUESS / BERLIN-STEGLITZ” and “195153” and “D.R.P.” and “mb.” The scale around the circumference of the face extends from 0 to 1100.
Description
This instrument is 5¼ inches diameter and 3¼ inches deep. The inscriptions on the face read “R. / FUESS / BERLIN-STEGLITZ” and “195153” and “D.R.P.” and “mb.” The scale around the circumference of the face extends from 0 to 1100. A nozzle on the side of the pressure-tight steel case is designed for attaching a hose that would be connected to a testing device.
This came to the Smithsonian in 1959, a transfer from the U.S. Weather Bureau. It may date from around 1940.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940
maker
R. Fuess
ID Number
PH.316274
accession number
224564
catalog number
316274
Victor Beaumont was a mechanic in New York City with at least six patents to his name. The patent issued on June 14, 1859, described a gauge for measuring the pressure of steam or other fluids.
Description
Victor Beaumont was a mechanic in New York City with at least six patents to his name. The patent issued on June 14, 1859, described a gauge for measuring the pressure of steam or other fluids. When he realized that Lucien Vidie, in France, had used a similar mechanism to construct the first practical aneroid barometer, Beaumont began making instruments of this sort. At the American Institute Fair of 1859 he was awarded a diploma for a “Cheap Barometer” that was “likely to prove of importance to the agricultural community, because it is cheap, costing only $4, and as effective as the most expensive kind and not likely to get out of order, and can be transported as easily as a watch, with as little danger of injury.”
This example is marked “Beaumont’s Barometer / 175 Center Street / NEW YORK / Patented June 14, 1859.” The scale extends from 18 to 31 inches of mercury, and is graduated in tenths.
Ref: Victor Beaumont, “Gage for Measuring the Pressure of Fluids,” U.S. Patent 24,365 (1859).
“A Cheap Barometer,” 18 (1859-1861): 180-181.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1860
maker
Beaumont, Victor
ID Number
PH.313693
catalog number
313693
accession number
192408
This is a brass instrument, 4¾ inches diameter and 1¾ inches deep. The white face is marked “Aneroid Barometer” and “1634” and “STORMY Much Rain Rain CHANGE Fair Set Fair VERY DRY.” The pressure scale extends from 22.5 to 31.5 inches of mercury, read to twentieths of an inch.
Description
This is a brass instrument, 4¾ inches diameter and 1¾ inches deep. The white face is marked “Aneroid Barometer” and “1634” and “STORMY Much Rain Rain CHANGE Fair Set Fair VERY DRY.” The pressure scale extends from 22.5 to 31.5 inches of mercury, read to twentieths of an inch. There are two pointers so that one can determine if the pressure is rising or falling.
The U.S. Weather Bureau transferred this to the Smithsonian in 1954.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PH.314548
accession number
204612
catalog number
314548
In this apparatus which came to the Smithsonian in 1923, a walnut base holds two circular instruments, each 3¼ inches diameter and 1½ inches deep. One is a clock. The other is an aneroid barometer with two pointers.
Description
In this apparatus which came to the Smithsonian in 1923, a walnut base holds two circular instruments, each 3¼ inches diameter and 1½ inches deep. One is a clock. The other is an aneroid barometer with two pointers. The pressure scale on the barometer extends from 27 to 31 inches of mercury, read to tenths of an inch. It is also marked “STORMY MUCH RAIN RAIN CHANGE FAIR SET FAIR VERY DRY.” A wooden pillar between these two instruments holds a mercury-in-glass thermometer with an enameled back and a metal plate with temperature scale.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
PH.307962
accession number
69572
catalog number
307962
The inscriptions on the face of this barometer read “J.W. Queen & Co. PHILADELPHIA” and U.S.G.S. No 197.” The U.S.
Description
The inscriptions on the face of this barometer read “J.W. Queen & Co. PHILADELPHIA” and U.S.G.S. No 197.” The U.S. Geological Survey was established in 1879.
The pressure scale around the circumference of the face of this barometer reads from 17.5 to 31 inches of mercury; the altitude scale reads from zero to 3,000 feet. Despite the inscription, this instrument was probably made in London. James W. Queen & Co., the Philadelphia firm that sold it, referred to it as a Pocket Mountain Aneroid compensated for temperature, with altitude scale to 3000 feet.
Ref: J. W. Queen & Co., Mathematical and Engineering Instruments and Materials (Philadelphia, [1880]), p. 179.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
PH.247926
catalog number
247926
accession number
47736
In 1854, in the interest of safety and economy, the British Parliament authorized the establishment of a uniform system of meteorological observations at sea and the formation of a Meteorological Office within the Board of Trade.
Description
In 1854, in the interest of safety and economy, the British Parliament authorized the establishment of a uniform system of meteorological observations at sea and the formation of a Meteorological Office within the Board of Trade. Under the leadership of Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy, the Met Office issued a call for a barometer suitable for use by the Royal Navy. Patrick Adie got the contract, and the Kew Observatory tested each barometer before it was sent out. Matthew F. Maury, director of the U.S. Naval Observatory, reported in 1855 that he had ordered many barometers of this sort for the U.S. Navy.
This example is marked “ADIE, LONDON No 1711” and “SIGNAL SERVICE U.S. ARMY For Comparison of Barometers for International Simultaneous Meteorological Reports.” It may have been acquired by the Signal Service soon after the start of a weather service in 1870; it was last calibrated by the Weather Bureau in 1970.
Ref.: Sara Dry, “Fishermen and Forecasts: How Barometers Helped Make the Meteorological Department Safer in Victorian Britain,” Center for Analysis of Risk and Regulation Discussion Paper 46 (2007).
M.F. Maury, Explanation and Sailing Directions to Accompany the Wind and Current Charts (Philadelphia, 1855), p. 639.
Report of the Chief Signal Officer to the Secretary of War for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1881, p. 1128.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1854-1886
maker
Adie, Patrick
ID Number
PH.333823
accession number
304553
catalog number
333823
This is a small brass instrument, 1¾ inches diameter. The silvered face is marked “R. & J. BECK’S / FARMER’S / BAROMETER / 31 Cornhill / LONDON / 582.” The scale around the circumference of the face reads from 25 to 31 inches of mercury, in fifths of an inch.
Description
This is a small brass instrument, 1¾ inches diameter. The silvered face is marked “R. & J. BECK’S / FARMER’S / BAROMETER / 31 Cornhill / LONDON / 582.” The scale around the circumference of the face reads from 25 to 31 inches of mercury, in fifths of an inch. The back is marked “Signal Service / U.S. Army, / No. 17.” There is also a dark leather case. The U.S. Weather Bureau transferred it to the Smithsonian in 1954.
This was probably made after 1870, when the Signal Service was given charge of the national weather service.
R. & J. Beck was in business, as such, from 1865 to 1895, making and selling microscopes and other optical instruments. Although they sold aneroids, it is unlikely that they made them.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870-1890
ID Number
PH.314551
accession number
204612
catalog number
314551
This small barometer was probably made by Short & Mason in London, in the latter decades of the nineteenth century.
Description
This small barometer was probably made by Short & Mason in London, in the latter decades of the nineteenth century. The inscriptions on the face read “Compensated” and “MADE IN ENGLAND.” The scale around the circumference of the face extends from 21 to 31 inches of mercury, graduated to tenths, with indications for “RAIN,” “CHANGE” and “FAIR.” Another scale, which is moveable, indicates elevation from zero to 10,000 feet. The case is gilt.
Ref: Short & Mason, Ltd., Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue and Price List of Barometers, Compasses, Air Meters, Self-Recording and Other Scientific Instruments (London, after 1900), pp. 9-10.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
PH.247927
catalog number
247927
accession number
47736
This small brass instrument, 2½ inches diameter, was owned by Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), the second Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The silvered face is marked "R. & J.
Description
This small brass instrument, 2½ inches diameter, was owned by Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), the second Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The silvered face is marked "R. & J. Beck / 51 Cornhill / LONDON / 516 / Compensated." The pressure scale around the circumference of the face extends from 15 to 31 inches of mercury. The altitude scale extends from 0 to 18,000 feet. The instrument is stored in a round, red leather case. R. & J. Beck was in business, as such, from 1865 to 1895.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865-1895
maker
R. & J. Beck
ID Number
PH.284273
accession number
55865
catalog number
284273
Joshua Gabriel Paulin, in Sweden, developed an aneroid barometer with an adjustable capsule that was suitable for use in altimetry. This example is marked, on its face, “PRECISION ALTIMETER / Patented” and “System Paulin / Stockholm” and “MADE IN SWEDEN BY C.E.
Description
Joshua Gabriel Paulin, in Sweden, developed an aneroid barometer with an adjustable capsule that was suitable for use in altimetry. This example is marked, on its face, “PRECISION ALTIMETER / Patented” and “System Paulin / Stockholm” and “MADE IN SWEDEN BY C.E. JOHANSSON, ESKILSTUNA.” The outer scale around the circumference extends from 4000 to 9700 feet and the inner one extends from -900 to +4000 feet, and both are graduated to 10-feet intervals. The back of the case in marked "MADE IN SWEDEN A1217 PAT'D U.S.A. SEPT 9-19 APR 13-26."
A gold label on the leather case reads “The American Paulin System INC. 1220 MAPLE AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.” This company termed this model “The ENGINEER” and, in 1929, sold it for $125.
Ref: J.G. Paulin, "Fluid-Pressure Indicator," U.S. Patent 1,315,858 (1919).
Paulin, "Instrument for Measuring Pressures and Forces," U.S. Patent 1,580,568 (1926).
W.E.K. Middleton, (Baltimore, 1964), pp. 421-422.
The American Paulin System, Inc., Catalog (1929), section III.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1929-1940
ID Number
PH.333643
catalog number
333643
accession number
300659
Small aneroid barometer in a silvered case, 1¼ inches diameter, and ⅞ inches deep. The circumference of the face is marked “SEMMONS OCULIST OPTICIAN, 687 BROADWAY, NEW YORK” and “S. M. R. R. C. F. S. F. V.
Description
Small aneroid barometer in a silvered case, 1¼ inches diameter, and ⅞ inches deep. The circumference of the face is marked “SEMMONS OCULIST OPTICIAN, 687 BROADWAY, NEW YORK” and “S. M. R. R. C. F. S. F. V. D.” The altitude scale reads from –1,000 to +12,000 feet, in increments of 100 feet. The pressure scale reads from 19 to 31 inches of mercury, in fifths of an inch. There is a leather case that also holds a mercury thermometer and a magnifying lens.
Semmons began in business in New York in 1859, selling optical and other instruments imported from Europe. The U.S. Weather Bureau transferred it to the Smithsonian in 1954.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860s
ID Number
PH.314550
accession number
204612
catalog number
314550
This small instrument, the size of a pocket watch, was probably made for the French market. The inscription on the silvered face reads “L.
Description
This small instrument, the size of a pocket watch, was probably made for the French market. The inscription on the silvered face reads “L. Casella / Maker to the Admiralty / & Ordnance / LONDON / Compensated / 2311.” The outer scale around the edge of the face indicates altitude in “Mètres.” The inner scale indicates pressure from 63 to 70 centimeters of mercury, subdivided to half millimeters; another scale indicates altitudes from 300 feet below sea level to 15,000 feet above. A curved thermometer reads from -12 to +55 degrees centigrade. There is also a leather carrying case.
Ref.: L. Casella, Improved Aneroid Barometers (London, 188?).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865-1897
maker
L. P. Casella
ID Number
PH.326964
accession number
264006
catalog number
326964
The inscriptions on the face of this barometer read “J. & H. J. GREEN / NEW YORK” and “JAS PITKIN / Maker / LONDON / COMPENSATED” and “U.S.G.S. No 181.” They indicate a date between 1879 and 1885 when James and Henry J. Green were working in partnership. The U.S.
Description
The inscriptions on the face of this barometer read “J. & H. J. GREEN / NEW YORK” and “JAS PITKIN / Maker / LONDON / COMPENSATED” and “U.S.G.S. No 181.” They indicate a date between 1879 and 1885 when James and Henry J. Green were working in partnership. The U.S. Geological Survey was established in 1879.
The pressure scale around the circumference of the face reads from 20 to 31 inches of mercury; the altitude scale reads from zero to 12,000 feet.
James Pitkin received a British provisional patent (#2947) for “Improvements in Aneroid Barometers” in 1861. In 1870, together with Thomas W. Short, his partner at that time, he brought out an Illustrated Catalogue of Aneroid Barometers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1879-1885
retailer
J. & H. J. Green
maker
Pitkin, James
ID Number
PH.247925
catalog number
247925
accession number
47736
This pocket aneroid barometer is 2 inches diameter. The inscription on the face reads: “COMPENSATED / TEMP ALT. SCALE / 50° FAHT / J. H.
Description
This pocket aneroid barometer is 2 inches diameter. The inscription on the face reads: “COMPENSATED / TEMP ALT. SCALE / 50° FAHT / J. H. STEWARD LTD / 406, STRAND / 457, WEST STRAND / LONDON / 6191.” The circumference of the face is graduated for altitude, from -10 to +1500 feet. An inner circle is graduated from 17.5 to 31 inches of mercury. A paper label in the lid of the leather case provides a correction to be applied to the altitude scale for mean air temperature above or below 50° Fahrenheit.
James Henry Steward opened an optical instrument shop at 406 Strand in 1857, a second shop at 457 West Strand in 1886, and a third shop at 7 Gracechurch St. in 1893. While Steward sold this instrument, he probably did not make it.
This was used by the Washington born intaglio artist Benson Bond Moore. The Archives of American Art transferred it to the National Museum of American History.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
J. H. Steward. Ltd.
ID Number
1999.0007.01
catalog number
1999.0007.01
accession number
1999.0007
The inscriptions on the face of this aneroid barometer read “Compensated” and “James W. Queen & Co. / PHILADELPHIA.” The pressure scale around the circumference extends from 18 to 31 inches of mercury.
Description
The inscriptions on the face of this aneroid barometer read “Compensated” and “James W. Queen & Co. / PHILADELPHIA.” The pressure scale around the circumference extends from 18 to 31 inches of mercury. The altitude scale extends to 15,000 feet elevation and is read by vernier and microscope to single feet. The diameter is about 3.5 inches. Although this instrument was sold by Queen, it was was probably made in London, perhaps by Short & Mason. New, it would have sold for $60.
Ref.: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Meteorological Instruments (Philadelphia, 1882), p. 93.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1859-1896
maker
James W. Queen & Co.
ID Number
1996.0163.01
accession number
1996.0163
catalog number
1996.0163.01
The face of this cylindrical instrument is marked “BAROMETRE HOLOSTERIQUE / COMPENSÉ / NAUDET & CIE.
Description
The face of this cylindrical instrument is marked “BAROMETRE HOLOSTERIQUE / COMPENSÉ / NAUDET & CIE. / PARIS / SERVICE MÉTÉOROLOGIQUE.” The additional circle with the letters “HBPN” was the logo of Naudet & Cie., and probably represents the words: Holosteric Barometer Paul Naudet. The firm was founded in Paris in 1860 by Paul Naudet, and used the term Holosteric to mean “without liquid.” The scale around the edge of the silvered metallic dial extends from 65 to 80 millimeters of mercury and is graduated to tenths. A blued needle indicates the present pressure; a brass needle indicates a previous observation. The U.S. Signal Corps transferred this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1923.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1923
maker
Naudet & Cie.
ID Number
PH.308186
accession number
70852
catalog number
308186
This is a small brass instrument with two scales around the circumference of its silvered dial. One extends from 18 to 31 inches of mercury, with subdivisions to 20th of an inch; the other extends from zero to 15,000 feet elevation.
Description
This is a small brass instrument with two scales around the circumference of its silvered dial. One extends from 18 to 31 inches of mercury, with subdivisions to 20th of an inch; the other extends from zero to 15,000 feet elevation. The back is engraved “No 24 U.S.G.S.”
The mahogany box holding the barometer has two labels. One reads “H.W. Turner, U.S. Geol. Survey, San Francisco” and the other reads “A. LIETZ & CO. OPTICIANS, SAN FRANCISCO.” The former refers to Henry Ward Turner, a mining engineer and geologist who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey from 1882-1901. The latter refers to the California firm that sold a wide range of mathematical and optical instruments. The barometer was probably made in England. The Geological Survey transferred it to the Smithsonian in 1907.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890
ID Number
PH.247928
catalog number
247928
accession number
47736
The inscriptions on the face of this instrument read "COMPENSATED FOR TEMPERATURE” and “Taylor Instrument Companies / ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S.A. / E.D. No.
Description
The inscriptions on the face of this instrument read "COMPENSATED FOR TEMPERATURE” and “Taylor Instrument Companies / ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S.A. / E.D. No. 4380.” One scale around the circumference extends from -200 to +1800 meters; another extends from -1000 feet to +6000 feet; and a third extends from 24 to 31 inches of mercury. There is a brown leather case. The Taylor Instrument Companies began operating, as such, in 1904.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1904-1972
maker
Taylor Instrument Co.
ID Number
PH.333642
catalog number
333642
accession number
300659
The “James Green / New York / Compensated” and “U.S.G.S. No 60” inscription on this aneroid barometer indicates a date of 1879, after the establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey, and before Green took his nephew into partnership and began trading as J. & H. J. Green.
Description
The “James Green / New York / Compensated” and “U.S.G.S. No 60” inscription on this aneroid barometer indicates a date of 1879, after the establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey, and before Green took his nephew into partnership and began trading as J. & H. J. Green. The pressure scale around the circumference of the face reads from 15 to 31 inches of mercury, and the altitude scale reads from zero to 20,000 feet.
Ref.: Henry J. Green, Meteorological and Scientific Instruments (Brooklyn, N.Y., ca. 1900), p. 14.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1879
maker
Green, James
ID Number
PH.247924
catalog number
247924
accession number
47736
Brass instrument, 3¼ inches diameter, with silvered dial marked “Improved Altitude Scale / Surveying Aneroid / Compensated” and “GEORGE E.
Description
Brass instrument, 3¼ inches diameter, with silvered dial marked “Improved Altitude Scale / Surveying Aneroid / Compensated” and “GEORGE E. BUTLER / SAN FRANCISCO” and “MADE IN ENGLAND” and “IMPD PAT / NO 7318.” The back of the case is marked “TRADE MARK LONDON.” There is also a leather case with strap.
The circumference of the face has three scales reading from 0 to 15000 feet: one in 25 foot increments, one in 50 foot increments, and one in 100 foot increments. A pressure scale reads from 18 to 31 inches of mercury. A smaller scale at the bottom of the face reads the temperature from 30 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
This instrument is based on a British patent for “An Improvement in Metallic Thermometers and Barometers” that was issued to Thomas Wheeler, of London, in 1894. It may have been made by F. Barker & Son, a London firm that that is known to have produced compasses and aneroid barometers. It was sold by George E. Butler, a jeweler in San Francisco in the early 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
PH.335617
catalog number
335617
accession number
1977.0058
Gimbal-mounted mercury barometer with a mahogany case. The cistern is boxwood with a leather bottom, and its cover is brass. The ivory scale extends from 26.3 to 31 inches of mercury, and is read by vernier to 0.01 inch.
Description
Gimbal-mounted mercury barometer with a mahogany case. The cistern is boxwood with a leather bottom, and its cover is brass. The ivory scale extends from 26.3 to 31 inches of mercury, and is read by vernier to 0.01 inch. The thermometer on the stem reads in degrees Fahrenheit and Reaumur. The “Spencer, Browning & Co Minories London” inscription refers to a firm that was active during the period 1840-1870.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1870
maker
Spencer, Browning & Co.
ID Number
PH.325753
accession number
257197
catalog number
325753
This is a brass instrument, 4¼ inches diameter and 2 inches deep. It can lie flat or, stand erect on two little legs. The face is white, with a hole in the center to reveal the mechanism.
Description
This is a brass instrument, 4¼ inches diameter and 2 inches deep. It can lie flat or, stand erect on two little legs. The face is white, with a hole in the center to reveal the mechanism. The circumference of the face is marked “Baromètre Anéroïde” with French words for the various weather conditions. The pressure scale extends from 69 to 80 centimeters of mercury, read to millimeters.
This came to the Smithsonian in 1910, a transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior. It had probably been collected by the short-lived federal Bureau of Education.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
PH.261257
accession number
51116
catalog number
261257
This is a hefty instrument, 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. The face reads: “Surveying Aneroid / COMPENSATED FOR TEMPERATURE / Short & Mason / London / Tycos / Made in England.” The altitude scale around the circumference of the face reads in from sea level to 6000 feet.
Description
This is a hefty instrument, 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. The face reads: “Surveying Aneroid / COMPENSATED FOR TEMPERATURE / Short & Mason / London / Tycos / Made in England.” The altitude scale around the circumference of the face reads in from sea level to 6000 feet. An inner pressure scale reads from 24.8 to 31 inches of mercury. Both scales can be read by a magnifying lens.
The Taylor Instrument Companies began operating, as such, 1904, introduced the Tycos trade mark in 1908, and gave this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1923.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
maker
Short & Mason
ID Number
PH.308172
catalog number
308172
accession number
70532

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