Measuring Collection

Britains New Navy in Training - HMS Raleigh. circa 1930s

Tailoring tools
Tools used in tailoring, including scissors, needle and thread, chalk, measuring tape, a ruler and a smoothing iron

Spectroscope (c. 1860) by Bunsen and Kirchhoff, published in 1880
Spectroscope by Robert Bunsen (German chemist, 1811 - 1899) and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (German physicist, 1824 - 1884). A spectroscope is an optical device

Mercury thermometer showing a room temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. The mercury thermometer works as mercury, a liquid metal, expands evenly as the temperature increases

Lie detector test
MODEL RELEASED. Lie detector test. Pulse meters on a mans fingers during a lie detector, or polygraph, test. A polygraph records changes in a number of physiological processes

Light meter, used in photography. The light meter measures the brightness so that correct exposure times can be set on a camera

ECGs of a normal heart rate, artwork
Electrocardiograms (ECG) of a normal heart rate, artwork. An ECG measures the electrical activity of the heart. The wave on the ECG appears upwards or downwards depending upon whether the electrical

Measuring up an end of Bowls, 1903
Photograph showing the measuring from a jack during a game of bowls, Britain, 1903

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

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

Overhead view of the fruit and vegetable market, Pushkar, Rajasthan State, India, Asia

Dandelion Clock & Prayer
A dandelion clock is used as a metaphor for measuring your life by loss and not by gain

Measuring a Gold
Archery is much favoured by Victorian females, who are seen here measuring their achievements

Measuring Substitutes for the Army of Reserve, 1815. 1815. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Measuring Substitutes for the Army of Reserve, 1815

Colossus Of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of the sun god Helios measuring 34 metres, towers over the islands harbour, circa 250 BC

Bus Driver
March 1929: A set of instruments on a bus route survey vehicle for measuring distance, gradient and camber on roads used by the London General Omnibus Companys fleet of buses

PSCI2A-00073
Greek astronomer Hipparchus mapping the stars over Alexandria, ancient Egypt. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Rolls-Royce Clyde powered prototype Westland Wyvern TF2, VP120, during thrust measuring trials at Yeovil

Micrometer screw gauge. This is an instrument used to accurately measure small distances. Here it is being used to measure the thickness of a piece of wire (upper left)

Hogarth / Rakes / Tailor
The Rakes Progress 1. The young heir is measured for new clothes

A Rakes Progress, Plate 1, June 25, 1735. Creator: William Hogarth
A Rakes Progress, Plate 1, June 25, 1735

Observatory on the summit of Ben Nevis, Scotland
Observatory on the summit of Ben Nevis, Fort William, Scotland Date: 1908

Outdoor Curling Match on the ice at Bern, Switzerland. Date: circa 1907

Seaman looking at sea map and holding pair of compasses

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

Chest measurement of LFB applicant
An LFB applicant has his chest measured by A D O Packer, commandant of the Training School. The brigade minimum is 36 inches with a two-inch expansion

Chinese Pharmacy 1864
Traditional Chinese dispensaries have changed little over time. Herbs are weighed out in daily doses, and patients receive bags of herbs to last the treatment. Date: 1864

Beerometer 1897 Date: 1897

A Sextant, 1912
Illustration of a typical sextant, c.1912. Sextants are used by mariners and explorers to determine their position, by measuring the angle between the horizon and the sun. Date: 1912

Oscilloscope displaying white noise. Oscilloscopes use cathode ray tubes to graphically exhibit variations in voltage or electric current

Woman measuring her waist. She may be keeping track of weight loss during a diet but compulsive self-measurement may be a symptom of a body image disorder such as anorexia nervosa

Boy measuring his temperature
MODEL RELEASED. Strip thermometer. Boy using a strip thermometer to measure his temperature from his forehead. His temperature is displayed by the green area

Measuring hip girth
MODEL RELEASED. Measuring hip girth using a tape measure

Arab Astronomers / 1513
Arab astronomers measuring angles between objects in space or on land

Telling time at night using a nocturnal. The hour is obtained by measuring the angular position of the imaginary line joining the pointers in the constellation of the Plough to the Pole Star

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

With the Army, Derby recruit measured for uniform, WW1
A Derby recruit in civilian clothes is measured up for his uniform during the First World War. Date: 1916

Taking temperature
MODEL RELEASED. Taking temperature. Young woman using an oral themometer to take her temperature. The themometer shows a normal reading of 37 degrees Celsius which is normal body temperature

Measuring water levels
Water level recorder in a river, being adjusted by a scientist. It uses float activation of a gearing assembly to move a pen across a chart drum. The chart drum is driven by a spring-wound clock

Mathematical equipment
Mathematics equipment. Protractor (left), a pair of compasses and pencil (centre top), a pen (right) and an electronic calculator (lower centre)

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

Curry&rice / Dressmakers
The Colonels lady with native dressmakers ironing and measuring for a new outfit

A man on a running machine with oximeter attached to his ear
Caucasian Appearance, Full Length, Healthcare and Medicine, Instrument of Measurement, Measuring, Medical Examination, Medical Oxygen Equipment, Mid Adult, Motion, One Mid Adult Man Only, One Person

A survey group with instruments on the right bank of the Zeya River, 1909. Creator: Vladimir Ivanovich Fedorov
A survey group with instruments on the right bank of the Zeya River, 1909. Amur Oblast Museum of Regional History and Folklife

The moment of measuring the water level at the Inorogda hydrometric station, 1909. Creator: Vladimir Ivanovich Fedorov
The moment of measuring the water level at the Inorogda hydrometric station, 1909. Amur Oblast Museum of Regional History and Folklife

Measuring shell money-Tolowa, c1923. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Measuring shell money-Tolowa, c1923. Man holding string of shells

Deadwood Central RR Engineer Corps, 1888. Creator: John C. H. Grabill
Deadwood Central RR Engineer Corps, 1888. Outdoor group portrait of ten railroad engineers, wearing suits and hats, and a dog, posing in a row with surveyors transits on tripods and measuring rods

Measurements of the Zeya River by a survey party, 1909. Creator: Vladimir Ivanovich Fedorov
Measurements of the Zeya River by a survey party, 1909. Amur Oblast Museum of Regional History and Folklife

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Measuring - an art of precision and discovery. Tailoring tools in skilled hands create masterpieces that fit like a dream. The spectroscope, a scientific marvel from the 19th century, unravels the secrets of light and matter. A mercury thermometer faithfully records temperature changes, guiding us through seasons and climates. Lie detector tests measure truthfulness, revealing hidden emotions beneath the surface. A light meter captures the essence of illumination, allowing photographers to paint with light. ECGs showcase the rhythmic dance of a healthy heart, merging science and art seamlessly. Measuring up an end of Bowls in 1903 brings together tradition and competition on green fields. Household thermometers keep our homes cozy or cool as needed while overhead views at bustling fruit markets remind us of abundance's measurement in colors and flavors. Dandelion clocks whisper prayers for time's passage as they scatter seeds into the wind. In Penzance, West Cornwall, old souls gather to play bowls – measuring skill against experience under gentle sunsets by the sea. And finally, measuring gold becomes more than just numbers; it symbolizes dreams realized through hard work and determination. From tailors to scientists to artists to athletes – we all measure our world in different ways but share a common desire for understanding and growth.