Antique Stammer colorimeter made by Schmidt & Haensch, Berlin around 1900.

The Stammer colorimeter was invented by Karl Stammer in 1874 for the analysis of the color of fluids and was produced by Schmidt & Haensch, a German manufacterer of measuring instruments. They founded their company in 1864 in Berlin and are still active today.

The colorimeter has two vertical tubes, one has a standardized glass color disc, the other the liquid sample. At the (cast iron) base of the unit, light is reflected upward off a milk-glass plate, passing through both tubes simultaneously. A set of internal prisms at the top merges the light paths, allowing the operator to see a split-circle field of view through a single eyepiece—half showing the standard color, half showing the sample. With the pinion wheel the depth (thickness) of the liquid column can be adjusted.

The colorimeter is still in a good condition, all the prisms and other optics are still present inside. The image when looking through the ocular lense on top is clear and sharp. There are only some mild signs of usage visible, so please take a good look at the photos for a good impression.

The dimensions of the base of the colorimeter are 13 x 12.5 cm, the height can be adjusted from around 50 to 80 cm. The weight of the instrument is 4.5 kgs.