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black bulb thermometer
black bulb thermometer

black bulb thermometer

Date1890-1910
Inventory Number1998-1-1291
ClassificationThermometer
Subject
    Maker Henry J. Green fl. 1885 - 1910
    User Department of Geology and Geography, Harvard University 1890 - 1961
    Cultural Region
      Place of Origin
        Dimensions48.5 x 7 x 7 cm (19 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.)
        Material
          DescriptionA thermometer consisting of a thin glass tube with a capillary that has a scale in Fahrenheit degrees. Its mercury bulb is painted completely black and is in the shape of a sphere at the end of a cylindrical stem. The whole thermometer is kept inside a clear glass vessel with a large spherical bulb surrounding the thermometer's mercury bulb such that it is exactly at its center.
          Signedin script on thermometer back: "Henry J. Green, Brooklyn N.Y."
          Curatorial RemarksStored in box with several other thermometers: DW0784, 2008-1-0094a, 2008-1-0094b. Apparently 1998-1-1289 and 1998-1-1290 were also in this box at some point in the past.
          FunctionThis is a thermometer for determining the amount of heat radiation (infrared light) in the environment at a certain moment. Its mercury bulb is isolated from contact with the ambient temperature by a glass vessel that is probably evacuated from air, and it is painted completely black so it will absorb the maximum possible heat radiation.

          Heat radiation is an important meteorological reading as an indication of cloudiness and contributes to the subjective perception of ambient temperature in addition to the temperature of air.
          ProvenanceFrom the Department of Geology and Geography, Harvard University.
          black bulb thermometer
          black bulb thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: circa 1900
          Object number: 1998-1-1251
          black bulb thermometer
          black bulb thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-1261
          black bulb thermometer
          black bulb thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-1250
          black bulb thermometer
          black bulb thermometer
          James J. Hicks
          Date: 1880-1900
          Object number: 1998-1-1273
          minimum thermometer
          minimum thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Accessories: cardboard box
          Object number: 1998-1-1271b
          maximum thermometer
          maximum thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Accessories: cardboard box
          Object number: 1998-1-1271a
          minimum thermometer
          minimum thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-1255
          meteorological thermometer
          meteorological thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1885-1910
          Object number: DW0631
          thermometer
          thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-1256
          pair of maximum and minimum thermometers
          pair of maximum and minimum thermometers
          Henry J. Green
          Date: circa 1920
          Object number: DW0632
          maximum thermometer
          maximum thermometer
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1885-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-1286
          two thermometers in wooden case
          two thermometers in wooden case
          Henry J. Green
          Date: 1890-1910
          Object number: 1998-1-0621