Troubling Standards

Saccharometer, by Bate, London, Early 19th Century (Inv no.: 39279)

Straight Slide Rule For Prices, by R.B. Bate, London, 1824 (Inv no.: 50177)

Sextant Owned by Tennant, by Troughton and Simms, London, 1847 (Inv no.: 35300)

Theodolite in Leather Carry Case, by Troughton & Simms (Inv no.: 11242)

Altazimuth Theodolite, by Troughton & Simms, London, Mid-19th Century (Inv no.: 40904)

What's it all about?

Whether it's weight, height, width, length or distance – measurement is a part of our daily lives.

When we:

cook

shop

travel

work

we measure.

That's why at the History of Science Museum and Birmingham Museums Trust, we care for many objects used for those daily acts of measurement.

In South Asia during the 1800s and early 1900s, British colonial powers worked to standardise how people measured. And an important group of our objects connect to the daily lives of South Asian people during that period.

For example, in 1798, the East India Company’s Madras Presidency set up the Committee of Weights and Measures. For over 45 years, the Committee worked to impose on local communities their own weights and rules for measuring — pushing aside the measuring rod, vessels and weighing stones common in households, cultivated fields and markets.

We'll be exploring questions like:

What happens when people are forced to change — or abandon — such fundamental traditions and practices?
What does it mean to change – or not change – the way you measure?

What's involved?

We're inviting community members to a 1-day workshop to engage with our collections used for measuring.

We value the histories that communities hold as an important source of knowledge. That's why we're looking for community members who are interested in sharing their perspectives on the questions and stories these objects raise.