Precise measurement standards have revolutionized museum science, helping nail down where artifacts are from

By Edward Vicenzi, Research Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
Christine France, Research Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
Thomas Lam, Physical Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution

On a cool February morning in 1904, a spark ignited a fire in the heart of downtown Baltimore. Within hours, a raging inferno swept eastward across the harbor district, consuming everything in its path. By evening, the local firefighters were overwhelmed, and the city sent telegrams to the fire chiefs of major Northeastern cities pleading for help in battling the blaze.

Washington, Philadelphia and New York, along with other cities, responded quickly with dozens of engine…

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