Historical information

This Floating Dairy Thermometer was used on the A’Vard Dairy Farm between 1930 and 1964. It is designed to enable the easy measuring of the temperature of liquids. In particular it facilitates checking whether dairy is at the right temperature for cheesemaking, churning and freezing.

It was made to remain at the surface of the liquid, allowing workers to accurately take temperature readings with relative ease.

Similar models of floating thermometers were used to measure the temperature of bath water in hospitals; these functioned identically, but had different markers for their different use case.

Significance

This was a specialised tool used historically in the local dairy farming industry.

Physical description

A glass vial thermometer housed in a wooden case. The glass thermometer has temperature markings visible from 20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. There are long gaps with rounded ends on the front and rear of the wooden casing, allowing a user to see the temperature markings and labels. There is also a round hole in the front and rear of the wooden casing near the bottom, exposing the tip of the thermometer. At the top of the wooden casing is a handle, with string passed through a small hole allowing for the suspension of the thermometer from the string.

Inscriptions & markings

Front side of glass vial, middle: "Made / in Germany"
Front side of glass vial, upper: "FLOATING DAIRY THERMOMETER"
Rear side of glass vial, 85 degrees: "85 Cheese"
Rear side of glass vial, 62 degrees: "62 Churning"
Rear side of glass vial, 32 degrees: "32 Freezing"