Art Deco Desk Compendium by Lufft c.1935

This is a transparent Art Deco cream and lacquered brass desk barometer, thermometer and hygrometer compendium by Lufft, Germany, c1935. Desk compendium comprising 5" diameter aneroid barometer with black and gold painted, superimposed translucent dials, the outer of bevelled glass and annotated “Rain, Change, Fair.” Signed at the lower part by the maker “Lufft” and marked “Barometer.” The inner of plexi-glass with twin scales calibrated in inches of mercury and millibars, having ranges 28.5 – 30.5 and 970 – 130 respectively. Blued steel pointer and gilt brass index. The visible exhibition-grade movement driven from twin 1⅞th” flux welded cells acting on a conventional movement tensioned on a C spring. The verso with calibration port. 2¼” diameter hygrometer with translucent inner dial of plexi-glass with lacquered brass disk to centre, marked “Hygrometer,” percentage, annotated “Dry, Normal, Moist,” the range from 20% to 90%. Blued steel pointer, outer bevelled glass. 2¼” diameter thermometer with translucent inner dial of plexi-glass with lacquered brass disk to centre, marked “Thermometer”, degrees Fahrenheit, and “Cold, Warm” with a range from 0 – 120. Blued steel pointer, outer bevelled glass. The whole maintained on a curved brass bow and raised upon a wedge plinth, cream painted panels and detailing. All three instruments working well, the barometer with more than acceptable accuracy, see performance chart below. Note the barometric scales are shown in inches Hg and Mb. Comments: Pre-Ww2 Lufft instruments were made particularly well, and this compendium is no exception,. Most of these generically similar compendia are of poor quality, not so with this, the maker paying good attention to mechanical quality as well as aesthetic detail. The barometer movement is unusual, driven from twin capsules, the quality is high and the finish is designed to be exhibition standard. A very unusual and really quite rare item in much above average condition.