Baromètre Holostérique
Maufactured by Naudet, late 19th century
Naudet & Cie history
The company was established in 1860 by Paul Naudet, a premier instrument maker of the late 19th century, originally at 4 Place Thorigny, Paris. Together with three partners, the company was registered under the name of "Pertuis, Hulot, Bourgeois et Naudet" (PHBN). In 1906, it was inherited by one of the employees, Xavier Dourde and has remained in the family ever since. Today it has shortened the name to "Naudet et Cie" and is located at 3 rue Marcel Dassault 93360 Neuilly-Plaisance in the Parisan suburbs.
They were, and are, a renowned French manufacturer of high-quality holosteric (also referred to as aneroid) barometers and were famous for producing precision weather instruments often featuring brass, bronze, or leather-cased designs. They are highly collectible, sometimes branded as Naudet & Cie or associated with luxury retailers like Hermès.
Provenance
This barometer belonged to Captain Oliver C. Wilcox (1844-1910) who navigated primarily on the Great Lakes. In 1906, he married the widow Sarah Ann Hudgin 1846-1924 (daughter of Moses Hudgin of Prince Edward County.)
Captain and Mrs Wilcox bought a farm at Woodrous Corner near Cherry Valley and invited his step-son Edward Rorke to live with them. Edward Rorke married Sarah Elizabeth Spafford – whose descendant donated this barometer. Mrs. Rorke had a lifelong love for ships and sails. From C.H.J Snider's Schooner Days # 603 “Summer Trip To Swan Creek”, Mrs Rorke recounts :
"The story begins and ends in Buffalo harbor. The year 1898, somewhere along the first of June. I was making a six-weeks' visit with my husband, who was then mate, and my father-in-law, Capt. Oliver Cromwell Wilcox, who was captain, of the three-masted schooner L.S. Hammond of Ogdensburg. Capt. Wilcox had an ancestor who fought and was wounded in the revolution in England, when King Charles lost his kingdom and his head. The L.S. Hammond was a stately looking vessel with white top and grey bottom, with trunk cabin, and she was a good swift sailer, better perhaps than the gilded Sovereign of the Seas which cost the Stewart king his crown through the Ship Money Tax. She was owned by Capt. Wilcox and John Hammond of Ogdensburg, where the red Oswegatchie River mingles with the blue and green of the St. Lawrence. She was called after Mr. Hammond's daughter."
Thus, this barometer has been in the same family probably since it was new, although we have no absolute proof of the date of purchase by Captain Wilcox.
Description
This barometer measures 8.25" in diameter, with a depth of 2.25". A quasi-identical (slightly different dial, presumably for the Canadian market) is illustrated in the Naudet et Cie catalogue of 1891 as a "Baromètre No. 3, à jour, 21 centimètres."
As to an exact date of manufacture, correspondence with Naudet states:
Au vu des éléments visibles, il s’agit d’un baromètre anéroïde NAUDET de la seconde moitié du XIXᵉ siècle. La mention « Holostérique » était un terme déposé par notre marque. La présence des deux thermomètres avec graduation en Réaumur et Fahrenheit, ainsi que le style du cadran et du boîtier en laiton, orientent vers une fabrication située entre 1870 et 1900.
Cette estimation correspond parfaitement à la période d’activité du capitaine que vous mentionnez.
[ Translation : "Based on the visible features, this is a Naudet aneroid barometer from the second half of the 19th century. The term « Holostérique » was a registered trademark of our brand. The presence of two thermometers with Réaumur and Fahrenheit markings, as well as the style of the dial and brass case, suggest a date of manufacture between 1870 and 1900. This estimate perfectly matches the period of activity of the captain you mentioned." ]
Given that this was an expensive French-made instrument, we tentatively conclude that Captain Wilcox would have purchased this barometer in the latter part of his career, maybe circa 1890.