Scottish Measures
- Comments
-
Glasgow Museums has a collection of 349 measures dating from the 15th - 20th century. This collection relates government, trade and domestic use of weights to measure fluids, distances and even crystals in industrial, commercial and homely settings. The measures collection records the Imperial system of measures in sets made of pewter, stone, wood and glass. Like its close relation, the weights collection, these objects also record the places where they were made and used. Consequently, the collection bears the names of Scottish cities, like Glasgow, Lanark, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Stirling and Aberdeen, as well as burghs such as East Kilbride, Govan, Calton, Pollokshaws, and Canongate. In some cases the names of owners and makers are revealed as are the coats of arms of monarchs. The earliest examples of these are 15th century corn measures and the latest examples of measures date to the early 20th century. Among these are a wide variety of shapes, sizes and functions. These include baluster shapes, the rare “pot bellied” measures from Aberdeenshire, and the sets of mass produced measures kept in wooden boxes which were bought by burghs and town councils to supervise trade and tradesmen dealing in liquids and cereals. Some other measures also show their use in building and railways industries to measure out distances and quantities of building material and rail or the width of wheels.
- Broader term
- Staff Contact