Rain gauge designed by Luke Howard and made by Richard & George Knight, 45 Foster Lane, Cheapside, London, c. 1818. The gauge consists of a glass bottle and copper funnel.

This rain gauge, one of the earliest such instruments for measuring rainfall, was commissioned by chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard in the early 1800s from Richard and George Knight in Foster Lane, London. Howard described the gauge in his book The Climate of London, first published 1818.

This instrument belonged to Howard’s contemporary and fellow meteorologist Edward Joseph Lowe, who described using a gauge ‘of Mr. Luke Howard’s’ in his Treatise on Atmospheric Phenomena (1846).

Measuring cylinder, part of the rain gauge designed by Luke Howard and made by Richard & George Knight, 45 Foster Lane, Cheapside, London, c. 1818.

The rain gauge with which this measuring cylinder is associated is one of the earliest such instruments for measuring rainfall. It was commissioned by chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard in the early 1800s from Richard and George Knight in Foster Lane, London. Howard described the gauge in his book The Climate of London, first published 1818.

This cylinder and its gauge belonged to Howard’s contemporary and fellow meteorologist Edward Joseph Lowe, who described using a gauge ‘of Mr. Luke Howard’s’ in his Treatise on Atmospheric Phenomena (1846).