History of Locks
Two items depicting from our theme on manacles , here featuring Human Rights .
Festival of Britain stamps ; the context or connection is Ingersoll ’ s great new post war invention – the 10 lever lock and exhibited for the first time .
An Armada chest featured here , depicting details of interest to our trade .
The Milner Tower on the Isle of Man . Thomas Milner made his home here and did much for the island , the Tower , when viewed from above resembles a medieval key profile .
Every company has an eye to how they can keep their name in front of potential customers . One arrow in their quiver is in promotional items . Today we are all familiar with items such as coasters , mugs and mouse mats etc . All handy at the point of work for the user keeping the company name at the fore front . In the 1920s , Chubb produced a number of tinplate money boxes in the shape of safes , strongboxes and a strongroom , there was even one in the form of the Queens dolls house ; the original had miniature working locks made by Chubb . In later years , a money box in the shape of a safe was produced by Wedgwood in 1968 for Chubb celebrating their 150th anniversary . Other tinplate money box models of safes originally contained toffees or other sweets ; which in the minds of children were precious , perhaps instilling a sense of security from a young age . I copy here part of the interesting and enlightening notes supplied with the Chubb Wedgwood money box :
“ Money boxes – Argyrothecology to somecollecting money boxes to others ! Any kind of enforced saving is a bitter pill to swallow , particularly for children ; but a pill that has been sweetened for many boys by the thought
The official plan in the agreement between Chatwood and the LMS Railway Co .
Telling part of the Enigma story but added to our collection for the extraordinary lengths the Germany navy went to secure the codes and rotors , particularly the Bode-Panzer Tangential lock .
of being able to put a coin into a mechanical money box , or perhaps for some little girl when she could handle a charming Staffordshire cottage , painted in delightful colours . Ornamental money boxes were made as early as the 4th century BC and are nearly as old as coinage itself . It is generally assumed that the first to introduce coinage as a means of furthering trade were the Lydians of Asia Minor , who were using metal tokens in the 6th and 7th century BC . So boxes for collecting coins have been used for a very long time . They have been made in the fashion of the times , of clay , of wood , of metal and of plastic . Shapes and forms have been varied and it is interesting to trace how various countries and groups of people have used different shapes and patterns . Money boxes have often been issued to commemorate special events and it is particularly fitting that Chubb should issue this money box to commemorate
A selection of Money Boxes from the HoL collection and themed on the Locksmith trade .
their One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary . It is in the pattern of a Chubb TDR safe ; a safe designed to resist attacks by force , explosives , drilling and oxygen cutting produced by Chubb in England .”
Another promotional item , this time by Chatwood , is the beautifully made paperknives engraved with their name which reminded the user every time they were picked up ; quality items like this ensured the item would be cherished and used . Money boxes , paperknives and other related promotional items make a nice display in the shop and makes for a great talking point and sometimes the customers even adding to the display .
Brian Morland , curator of the MLA Heritage Room , HoL Archive and the HoL Heritage Collection of Locks and Keys , welcomes comments and corrections on historical aspects of locks and keys . Brian can be contacted by email : brian @ emorlands . com
NOV / DEC 2020
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