Hydrometer
notes: label: Description
content: Elijah Southworth (1759-1834) was a New York watchmaker who, in 1812, began making silver hydrometers suitable for gauging spirituous liquors. This instrument had one weight, and a scale so contrived that the alcoholic strength could be read directly, but only at temperature of 60° F. By 1818, Southworth’s hydrometer had become the standard for merchantable proof in New York. In 1820, Southworth requested compensation from the state of New York, for having invented a hydrometer and served as a revolutionary soldier. In 1821, Southworth received a federal patent for his hydrometer. William T. Gendar produced Southworth hydrometers in the 1840s. This silver hydrometer with graduated stem is based on Southworth’s design.
label: Description
content: Ref: <i>Southworth’s Patented Hydrometer</i> (broadside).
label: Description
content: Harrison Hall, <i>The Distiller</i> (Philadelphia, 1818), p. 322.
label: Description
content: “Hydrometer Improved,” [New York] <i>Evening Post</i> (Aug. 18, 1812), p. 3.
label: Description
content: “Legislature of New-York, House of Assembly,” [New York] <i>Evening Post</i> (Feb. 28, 1820), p. 2.
label: Description
content: William T. Gendar, “Sole Manufacturer of Southworth’s Patent Hydrometer,” ad in <i>The Cleveland Herald</i> (Sept. 25, 1848).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1992.0175.01
label: catalog number
content: 1992.0175.01
label: accession number
content: 1992.0175
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hydrometer
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall in container: 8 3/8 in x 1 9/16 in; 21.2725 cm x 3.96875 cm