The Original Weather App: A 1915 Pocket Forecaster by Negretti & Zambra
The firm of Negretti & Zambra was founded in London in 1850 and quickly became a leader in the manufacture of precision scientific instruments, particularly barometers. Production of these pocket forecasters began in the early twentieth-century, probably around 1915 when the patent was granted. The forecasters are constructed of three celluloid dials, the outer two in an opaque cream with the inner dial being translucent so that the markings can be read. To predict the weather for the next twelve hours one simply adjusts the dials to the correct position for the direction of the wind and the current barometer reading (also noting whether the pressure is rising, falling, or holding steady), and compares the alphabetical results in the three windows at the centre to the legend printed on the back:
- Click here to view or purchase our Negretti & Zambra pocket forecaster.
- You can also browse our full selection of scientific antiques here.
