Signedon top of plate: McAdie MULTIPLE / HENRY J. GREEN / B'KLYN N.Y. / 51259
FunctionThis is a factory version of the meteorological thermometer designed by Alexander McAdie that includes four of the most important temperature scales as well as two scales for water vapor content at a given temperature, which are needed to estimate the potential rain contained in the air.
The thermometer was part of a gradual process of adopting McAdie's preferred temperature scale of Kelvin kilogrades to meteorological thermometers, as well as trying to include several measures of water vapor content in the air at a given temperature.
The collection contains several prototypes of this thermometer linked to the instrument's database entry, including more detailed information on the scales used by McAdie.
Primary SourcesOn the development of Kelvin kilograds, see: Alexander McAdie, "A New Thermometer Scale", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 12 (Dec. 1916), 670-672.
ProvenancePossibly from the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory.