Thermohygrometer; France, 19th century.

Thermohygrometer; France, 19th century.
Mahogany wood, brass and fruit marquetry.
Signed.
Measurements: 100 x 30 x 7 cm.
The thermohygrometer, an instrument intended to simultaneously measure temperature and ambient humidity, became a widely used device in 19th century France, especially in the context of scientific advances and the growing concern for comfort in domestic interiors. Its use spread both in laboratories and in bourgeois homes, where the regulation of environmental conditions was associated with well-being and health. The popularity of the thermohygrometer was driven by the expansion of meteorology as a scientific discipline, as well as by the fashion for technological objects that combined utility and decorative design. Made of materials such as wood, glass and precious metals, these instruments not only fulfilled a practical function, but were also integrated as ornamental elements in living rooms and cabinets, evidencing the interest of nineteenth-century society in applied science and technological progress.