Our “Tycos Biram’s Jeweled Zero-Setting Anemometer” in its original leather case is featured in the 1929 and 1937 catalogs of the Taylor Instrument Companies. (A copy of the relevant catalog page from 1929 accompanies this item.) Taylor was founded in Rochester, NY, in 1851 and is still a successful manufacturer of precision scientific and medical devices. As a class, anemometers are wind measuring instruments. The Renaissance polymath Leon Battista Albert is credited with inventing the first one around 1450, and with ongoing variations and improvements, anemometers remain today standard meteorological tools. The Biram model, however, was developed for use in mine shafts and other confined areas to ensure safety by measuring low volume air flow. Its jeweled bearings are so sensitive they can measure the speed of a human breath or turn effortlessly at the slightest air current crossing a room. Our example, while showing the surface effects of honest use, still operates with silent and flawless efficiency. Condition: Commensurate with age. Dimensions: Anemometer, 4" diameter, Case, 4.5" x 5" X 2.5".