Wedgwood pyrometer, 1786

Wedgwood pyrometer, 1786 Wedgwood pyrometer, 1786 Wedgwood pyrometer, 1786

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

King's College, London| Enquiries to Science Museum, London
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Wedgwood pyrometer with two porcelain taper gauges, and porcelain test pieces, in a mahogany case, 1786.

This pyrometer was presented to King George III by Josiah Wedgwood, its inventor, in 1786. Wedgwood developed the instrument to measure the high temperatures used in firing pottery. As porcelain shrinks when fired, the shrinkage of small pieces of porcelain could be used to measure kiln temperature. The pieces were fired and then placed in the gauge.

Details

Category:
King George III
Object Number:
1927-1812
Materials:
porcelain and mahogany
type:
pyrometers
credit:
King's College, London

Parts

One of two Wedgwood pyrometer taper gauges

One of two Wedgwood pyrometer taper gauges

One of two Wedgwood pyrometer taper gauges, with four porcelain test pieces.

Materials:
porcelain and mahogany (wood)
Object Number:
1927-1812 Pt2
type:
gauge
Two porcelain test pieces for Wedgwood pyrometer

Two porcelain test pieces for Wedgwood pyrometer

Two porcelain test pieces for Wedgwood pyrometer.

Materials:
porcelain
Object Number:
1927-1812 Pt3
type:
test pieces