A recording pyrometer which measures the brightness temperature at 0.65 &mgr; of a small incandescent sample in the range 1300°C to above 3000°C with a time constant of a few milliseconds is described. The instrument, designed to be used in studies of materials exposed to the plasma jet of a high‐intensity electric arc, is reliable to within ±20°C, and is suitable for measuring transient high‐temperature fluctuations or for applications where use of a standard optical pyrometer might be hazardous to personnel.