Antique Saybolt Standard Universal Chromometer C.J. Tagliabue Mfg. Co.

Description

For your consideration: an antique Chromometer. Early Chromometers such as this piece are far and few between. Rich in history, they can be found in several museums including Smithsonian.
This piece has an artsy, decorative aesthetic to it. The Chromometer comes clad in a hand done wooden box featuring dove tail construction. The box measures approximately 6” x 6” x 26” tall.
The body of the Chromometer is made of cast iron. At the foot of this instrument, you will find a tag which reads: Saybolt standard universal Chromometer manufactured by C. J. Tagliabue Mfg. Co.
Brooklyn N.Y., U.S.A. 3095. This Chromometer comes with 1 of the originally 2 glass tubes as seen in photographs.
George M. Saybolt (d. 1924) organized the Inspection Laboratory of the Standard Oil Co., managed it for 36 years, and designed the "Universal Chromometer" for use with refined petroleum oils. Saybolt's instrument was adopted as a standard test by the United States Fuel Association (by 1919), the American Society for Testing Materials (1923), the National Petroleum Association, and the American Petroleum Institute. The C. J. Tagliabue Mfg. Co., then the major U.S. manufacturer of instruments for testing petroleum and petroleum products, was offering the Saybolt Universal Chromometer by 1919. The Fisher Scientific Co. of Pittsburgh assumed responsibility for the manufacture of these instruments in the early 1950s.
The Saybolt Chromometer has two vertical tubes, one holding a standard colored glass and the other holding the sample to be analyzed, both of which are seen through an eyepiece at the top. Using the cock in the sample tube, the operator can draw down the sample until the colors of the two tubes appear the same. The height of the sample at that point is an indication of its quality.
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