The Falkirk barometer-maker John Russell (1745-1817) was a successful Scottish instrument-maker who earned his appointments and fame through giving barometers to King George III and the Prince of Wales. His 'royal' barometers such as this one follow roughly the same pattern as the two that now hang at Buckingham Palace (N. Goodison, English Barometers 1680-1860, Woodbridge, 1977, pp. 229-236 and figs. 159-162). The traditional provenance of this barometer has been with it at least since the 1930s and Russell's genuine appointment before 1811 as Watch-Maker to the Prince of Wales gives more credence to the idea that there were originally more than two in the Royal Collection.