Joseph Storer of Hammersmith, England, patented his 'perpetual' table fountain in the United States in 1871 after having obtained British and French patents. Storer's fountains use water and air pressure to push a small stream of water 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) above its highest level in rotating reservoirs. This was a Victorian tabletop version of ideas described in the first century a.d. by Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria. Storer sought patents for his "improvements in that class of self-acting fountains known as "Hero's fountain...." Room and table fountains must have been all the rage in late 19th century England and Europe as there were many models and variants, some of which were powered by hot air or stirling cycle engines.
These fountains were manufactured in the 1870s by J. Defries & Sons in the UK and by John W. Tufts of Boston. This is a rare all-metal example made almost entirely of silver-plated brass. Each reservoir holds a gallon (3.8 liters) of water. To operate the fountain the bottom reservoir is first filled with water, after which the reservoirs are rotated leaving the full one on top. Observe the results.
