Skip to main content

NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Litre Standard

Brass volumetric standard that says "litre" on front, with glass cover on the top

Brass volumetric standard, top view with glass cover laying at side

This brass volumetric standard was made by Henry-Prudence Gambey of Paris prior to 1850. It may have been obtained by Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, first Superintendent of Weights and Measures in the United States, for service in his 1832 comparison of standards used at American custom-houses. Capacity measures were determined by weighing the distilled water that they contained. A glass cover was necessary to determine the exact filling of the measure.

Created March 30, 2017, Updated April 6, 2017
Was this page helpful?