Topic: Units of Measurement

[Glen]

I would suggest it is better to adopt a convention that best fits the country of origin of the glass - and the main "audience". Thus, if you are writing about mainland European glass, use metric. If you are writing about English glass, then you will probably need to use both imperial and metric. If you are writing about American glass, you'll surely use imperial. But there's an over-rider! Remember your audience. That must also be taken into consideration. If, for example, you are writing about European glass for an American audience, it would (IMHO) be preferable to use imperial equivalents (and depending on the context, provide metric originals).

If I were to refer to a 15 cm. Rose Garden vase by Brockwitz, the majority of my intended audience would not be able to visualise which of the three sizes of vase I was referring to. Good grief - I'd have trouble myself. But call it a 6" vase and we're home and dry.

I don't think there is one answer, unless it is this; use the best combination to fit the circumstances.

Glen

[David E]

Ultimately I also think the manufacturer's original system should always be taken into consideration.

[Glen]

Ultimately I also think the manufacturer's original system should always be taken into consideration.

I do agree with this statement - but with an over-rider - which means for me that although my logic may say one thing, my less-than-logical thought process will over-rule it.

I feel it is imperative to consider one's audience. The example I gave re. my Rose Garden 15 cm. vase above, explains my point. Brockwitz (German) gave all measurements in metric, but if I used those measurements without also giving the dimensions in inches, I'd lose my audience. Crumbs, I wouldn't even understand it myself.  :oops:

It's a bit like saying that we should use the original language of the manufacturer - which would not work too well if I found myself having to write about blumenvasen, pflaumenmuster and haardose mit lochdeckel.  

Glen

[Cathy B]

Heavens, Australia went metric before I got to school. I believe India went metric in 1960, didn't it?

I literally can't conceptualise a measurement in inches. When I am selling in Australia for Australians, I have to put the metric measure first simply so that people will understand what I am talking about.

Cathy

[Frank]

One German catalog from the 1920's has few sizes given. Mostly where they offer two sizes in one design and then the unit is Inches! Interestingly a few items are annotated also in inches with prices in Francs, presumable Swiss as that is where I go this one. A spanish catalog, early 1900's uses millimetres but appears to have been annotated by an Italian hand and uses some other {illegible} units. 19th Century German also use some other units that I have yet to ID.

Ultimately these need to be translated to terms of the audience and both imperial and metric shall be used.

But what about volumes? Glass is described either in named sizes (Claret, Champagne, etc) Ounces or litres or weight. Plus a few in even more obsolete measure. A 1903 US catalogue uses inches/fractions, capacity in ounces, weight in ounces. Plus Pints, Quarts, Gallons and vials are given in drams.

Standard use containers can be sold in Numbers - try finding out which standard was used - there can be several in each trade so you need to also know which trade association they were members of.

[Cathy B]

For me, metric will always be the natural measure, but I do keep to Bernard's convention for any pre-1967 Australian glass.

David,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SI-metrication-world.png
except it's wrong because Australia went metric in the mid-60s. So I think
that most of the world has gone over to metric units.

Cathy

[David Hier]

There has been a lot of talk about 'intended audiences'.

Surely if we are talking about the World Wide Web, that potentially means people of all nations. Metric is the dominant system in the world, so it’s the system we should all work around.

Having said that, the best solution (as already mentioned) is to provide measurements in both metric and imperial; although I still say metric should take precedence.

[Glen]

This discussion shows exactly why we need to acknowledge the "audience" and offer appropriate measurements (in context) accordingly tailored and "interpreted."

Glen

[Frank]

Archaic units:

http://phrontistery.info/unit.html

[Adam]

Bringing the topic back to glass, Sowerbys used to export most of their stuff in wooden barrels, which varied in size.  The size was described as 25, 35, 40 etc.  After plucking up my courage to ask, I discovered that these referred to the number of dozens of pint tumblers which could be packed (with straw) in said barrel.

What would that be in metric?

Sowerbys hadn't made pint tumblers for years!

Adam D.