Measure Collection

Hogarth, Beer Street. A political print supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin. A scene of London life in which happy and healthy tradesmen

Hogarth, Gin Lane. A political print supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin (which later became the Gin Act)

Drinking / Intemperance
Political print of Gin Lane supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin. The pawnbrokers, gin cellar and distillery are now flourishing

Dressmakers workshop
Staff in the workroom of a dressmaker or outfitter. Clothes in various stages of completion are on dummies. The employees (all female apart from a solitary man with a tape measure around his neck)

Motorway traffic cones. Row of traffic cones being used to manage traffic on a motorway

Household thermometer, with both Celsius and Fahrenheit scales. The reading of 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) is normal room temperature

Douglas Dakota picking up a glider, Normandy; Second World W
Illustration showing a Douglas Dakota, C-47 Skytrain, swooping down with a hook trailing to pick up a Waco glider, Normandy, France, 1944

Old people playing bowls at Penzance in West Cornwall, UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

A speed camera
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Cover design, Simplicity Sewing Book, helpful hints for beginners and experts. 1947

DDE-90029545
Men playing Petanque in the park, Arles Provence, France. Date: 20/01/2009

Bank Notes - Paper Money - French Alarmists - ah! poor John Bull
NCO191224 Bank Notes - Paper Money - French Alarmists - ah! poor John Bull! published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797 (hand-coloured etching) by Gillray

Evolution of the yardstick. The oldest yardstick is at bottom, becoming more modern towards the top. Henry VII (1485-1509) and Elizabeth I (1533- 1603)

Ordnance Survey benchmark, UK
Ordnance Survey (OS) benchmark. OS benchmarks were installed by the Ordnance Survey department throughout the UK to record the height above mean sea level as determined by the Ordnance Datum Newlyn

Hogarth, Beer Street. A political print supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin. A scene of London life in which happy and healthy tradesmen

Portable seismometer in use, 1973
A modern model of Zhang Hengs apparatus for detecting earthquakes. The model is from the Science Museums collections

Alcohol thermometer reading 25 degrees Celsius. When heated the dyed liquid expands and rises up the tube. The tube is calibrated to display an accurate temperature depending on the location of

Old people playing bowls at Penzance in West Cornwall, UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

A man measuring the depth of insulation in a house loft or roof space. Insulating your loft can save a significant
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Metal ruler marked in inches

Volvelle to show how to find the time, in hours and minutes, in which the Moon reaches one of its aspects
7340909 Volvelle to show how to find the time, in hours and minutes, in which the Moon reaches one of its aspects. The disc is fixed and is read by a wire in the centre

Astrolabe quadrant, 1291-1310 (brass)
8832886 Astrolabe quadrant, 1291-1310 (brass) by French School, (13th-14th century); 15 x 14 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Astrolabe quadrant, 1291-1310 (brass)
8832883 Astrolabe quadrant, 1291-1310 (brass) by French School, (13th-14th century); 15 x 14 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Rules of the North Star, 16th century (manuscript)
7339147 Rules of the North Star, 16th century (manuscript) by Portuguese School, (16th century); 49x70.5 cm; National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: North Star rules)

Volvelle illustrating the magnitude, start time and duration of eclipses, 1540 (hand-coloured engraving)
7340904 Volvelle illustrating the magnitude, start time and duration of eclipses, 1540 (hand-coloured engraving) by Apianus, Petrus (1495-1552); National Maritime Museum, London

Arctic tern and a wooden sextant found on Axel's Island, Spitsbergen, 20th century (watercolour)
7295533 Arctic tern and a wooden sextant found on Axel's Island, Spitsbergen, 20th century (watercolour) by Wyllie, William Lionel (1851-1931); 25.1x35.3 cm; National Maritime Museum, London

The measuring of the specific gravity of alcohol with a hydrometer
5311838 The measuring of the specific gravity of alcohol with a hydrometer; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the measuring of the specific gravity of alcohol with a hydrometer)

Reading the chronograph at Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 19th century (engraving)
7337545 Reading the chronograph at Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 19th century (engraving) by Unknown Artist, (19th century); 109.5x149.2x5 cm; National Maritime Museum, London

Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees, 18th century
MMM5468898 Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees, 18th century; National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees)

Universal equinoxial ring dial, for all latitudes. Brass instrument, c.1715 (brass)
MMM5475137 Universal equinoxial ring dial, for all latitudes. Brass instrument, c.1715 (brass); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Universal equinoxial ring dial, for all latitudes)

Universal equinoxial dial for all latitudes, reverse, c.1695-1725 (copper)
MMM5475090 Universal equinoxial dial for all latitudes, reverse, c.1695-1725 (copper) by Culpeper, Edmund (1660-1738); National Maritime Museum, London

Sundial from Augsburg (Germany), deployed, for 10-degree latitude. Brass instrument, c.1800-1843 (brass)
MMM5475067 Sundial from Augsburg (Germany), deployed, for 10-degree latitude. Brass instrument, c.1800-1843 (brass); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Sundial from Augsburg (Germany)

Sundial with universal equinox ring, for all latitudes, 18th century (copper)
MMM5470082 Sundial with universal equinox ring, for all latitudes, 18th century (copper); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Sundial with universal equinox ring, for all latitudes)

Universal sundial for latitude 0-90 degrees, decorated with crowned eagles. Copper object, c.1635 (copper)
MMM5470074 Universal sundial for latitude 0-90 degrees, decorated with crowned eagles. Copper object, c.1635 (copper); National Maritime Museum, London

An Islamic solar quadrant, 1870 (lacquered wood)
MMM5470032 An Islamic solar quadrant, 1870 (lacquered wood); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: An Islamic solar quadrant)

Analematic sundial (by projecting the shadow of the gnomon) for latitude 51 degrees, c.1697 (copper and steel)
MMM5469097 Analematic sundial (by projecting the shadow of the gnomon) for latitude 51 degrees, c.1697 (copper and steel); National Maritime Museum, London

Butterfield dial for latitude 35 degrees, built around a magnetic compass, 17th century (silver)
MMM5469074 Butterfield dial for latitude 35 degrees, built around a magnetic compass, 17th century (silver, gilded copper and glass); National Maritime Museum, London

Astronomical compendium (measurement kit) for 49° latitude, open, with magnetic compass, 1597 (brass)
MMM5474046 Astronomical compendium (measurement kit) for 49° latitude, open, with magnetic compass, 1597 (brass) by Ducher, Hans (fl.1574); National Maritime Museum, London

Compass and dipleidoscope, an instrument for evaluating exact noon, composed of a small telescope and a prism
MMM5470113 Compass and dipleidoscope, an instrument for evaluating exact noon, composed of a small telescope and a prism, 1853-60 (copper); National Maritime Museum, London

Horizontal sundial pedestal for latitude 51 degrees, by Thomas Crow (?), 1801 (copper)
MMM5470095 Horizontal sundial pedestal for latitude 51 degrees, by Thomas Crow (?), 1801 (copper); National Maritime Museum, London

Diptych sundial for 49° latitude, seen from the closed lid, in ivory, dated, c.1640-60 (ivory)
MMM5475369 Diptych sundial for 49° latitude, seen from the closed lid, in ivory, dated, c.1640-60 (ivory); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Diptych sundial for 49° latitude)

Universal pocket equinoxial dial for Latitude 35 degrees, deployed Silver and gilded copper instrument
MMM5474504 Universal pocket equinoxial dial for Latitude 35 degrees, deployed Silver and gilded copper instrument, 1650-1700 (silver and gilded copper); National Maritime Museum, London

Sundial from Augsburg (Germany), deployed, probably for 10-degree latitude. Brass instrument, 18th century (brass)
MMM5474487 Sundial from Augsburg (Germany), deployed, probably for 10-degree latitude. Brass instrument, 18th century (brass) by Vogler, Andreas (c.1730-1800); National Maritime Museum, London

Diptych sundial, closed, marked with 6 Chinese characters in red ink declaring 'Sun Moon Combo Dial'
MMM5474453 Diptych sundial, closed, marked with 6 Chinese characters in red ink declaring 'Sun Moon Combo Dial', c.1850-1900 (wood); National Maritime Museum, London

Cylindrical sundial for latitude 44 degrees. Wooden and metal instrument, c.1835-1870 (wood and metal)
MMM5474446 Cylindrical sundial for latitude 44 degrees. Wooden and metal instrument, c.1835-1870 (wood and metal); National Maritime Museum, London

Portable horizontal sundial for latitude 48 degrees with magnetic compass. Silver instrument, 17th century (silver)
MMM5474442 Portable horizontal sundial for latitude 48 degrees with magnetic compass. Silver instrument, 17th century (silver); National Maritime Museum, London

Diptych sundial, open, for latitude 49 degrees, with magnetic compass. Wooden instrument, 18th century (wood)
MMM5474432 Diptych sundial, open, for latitude 49 degrees, with magnetic compass. Wooden instrument, 18th century (wood); National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Diptych sundial, open)

Dieppe (France) compass for lifting the magnetic azimuth, seen from above. Ivory instrument, c.1660 (ivory)
MMM5474076 Dieppe (France) compass for lifting the magnetic azimuth, seen from above. Ivory instrument, c.1660 (ivory); National Maritime Museum, London

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Measure the depths of society's vices, as Hogarth did in Gin Lane and Beer Street. From drinking and intemperance to the bustling dressmakers workshop, every aspect has its own measure. Even on motorways, traffic cones guide us with precision. A household thermometer measures comfort or discomfort within our homes. Witness the strength of teamwork as a Douglas Dakota picks up a glider in Normandy during World War II - an extraordinary feat measured by courage and determination. Beware of speed cameras that measure our adherence to rules on the road. In Penzance, UK, old people find joy in measuring their skills through bowls, embracing leisurely competition. Bank notes tell stories of French alarmists while poor John Bull suffers the consequences. And let's not forget about simplicity; a cover design from Simplicity Sewing Book reminds us that sometimes less is more when it comes to measurement.