Regarding the mis-measure of bikes.
In the 70's and into the 80's many British racing style frames had higher bottom brackets than say, an average Italian road frame. Note many, not all. There was a time in the early to mid 70's that those looking for a British frame seemed to be looking for an ultra short wheelbase, high bottom bracket mount.
Now, may I suggest keeping to bottom bracket drop. NOT height, for describing a frame's geometry, height is subject to influences of tire size and or wheel size. So, it is hard to compare when the datum is moving about. 650 wheel size is a whole other matter, but the vast majority are not that size.
Chuck was alluding to this measurement problem I think earlier. Also do not forget that seat tube angle will modify the "stand over height" as well, a slacker angle will provide a lower height above the ground for an equal sized frame of the same BB drop.
Also it was mentioned that the frame size will have direct influence of dimensional characteristics. Brian Baylis has often written about the compromises made on small frames frequently to hit a dimension, such as top tube length or front center length.
Front center is also not measured the same way by all, depending on the fixture and or methodology of the builder it could be measured parallel to the ground through the centers of the BB and front wheel, where at the bike shop level is often measured as the direct line from the BB center to the front wheel center.
So, when measuring a frame for others to understand well, please describe fully.
John Jorgensen
Palos Verdes Ca USA