HISTORY&HERITAGE
SPONSORED BY SKS
A PASSION FOR LOCKS
The Lock Collectors’ Association.
Now in its seventh year,
The Lock Collectors’
Association in its current
form was first established
in June 2006, in what was
then the Lock Museum,
in the highly appropriate
town of Willenhall between
Wolverhampton and Walsall
in the West Midlands’ Black
Country.
Willenhall was, of course,
historically an important
centre for lock manufacture
and although manufacturing
has gradually declined through
the last few decades, the town
is still home to many lock
businesses.
‘The UK deserves
a national locks
museum’
When the Lock Museum at
Willenhall closed to become
Locksmiths House, most of
the exhibits were transferred
to The Black Country Living
Museum (BCLM) in Dudley.
Locksmiths House is now
available to visit only by prior
appointment, and as a result,
is sadly largely unused. The
original aim was to relocate
the former Lock Museum to
the Dudley site but planning
permission was refused.
The Association is
determined, however, that
the UK should have its own
national Lock Museum.
To date, that has not been
possible – largely because
of funding difficulties in
the worst of the recession.
But given that the UK was
historically the world leader
in the development of locks,
the Association is confident
that with enough support, and
a growing membership, the
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THE SEP/OCT 2013 ISSUE
SPONSORED BY ADVANCED KEYS
establishment of a National
Locks Museum may not be an
impossible dream.
Many other countries do
have such museums and the
Association strongly believes
that the UK certainly deserves
one.
The LCA was formed in a bid
to bring together those people
with an interest in – indeed
a passion for - locks. Initially
aimed at lock collectors –
as its name implies – it is
actually open to all with an
interest. Not unnaturally,
many members tend to be
involved in the lock trade and
industry.
One of the most important
aspects of membership is that
it enables members to share
and exchange knowledge and
information, to buy and sell
locks and to exhibit at various
events items from members’
own collections.
Visits and social occasions
are organised through the
year. In January this year, for
example members visited
London’s fascinating Science
Museum where the curator
in charge of locks, Dr Helen
Peavitt, accompanied them
around the Locks Gallery
and showed them the Lock
‘The Association is
determined, however,
that the UK should
have its own national
Lock Museum’
Maintenance Room. Later,
they met with Richard
Wiltshire, Senior Archivist
at the London Metropolitan
Archives, at which the Chubb
Lock Registers and their
“Collectanea” (a collection
of antique cuttings and
information about themselves
and rival makers) are kept.
‘One of the most
important aspects of
membership is that it
enables members to
share and exchange
knowledge and
information to buy
and sell locks’
Members were privileged to
handle some of the archives –
including the first page of the
Chubb’s Register, with records
of locks made – including the
very first.
To round off a very
interesting visit to the nation’s
Capital, Angus Patterson,
Senior Curator at the Victoria
& Albert Museum, invited
members to inspect the
Museum’s impressive Locks &
Fastenings Gallery. Members
were again delighted to have
the chance to handle 20 of the
Museum’s most important
British-made locks – using
gloves of course!
The Association is
represented at major industry
events and was present at
The Locksmiths Expo in
Nottingham in March this
year, providing a display of
locks and keys for sale and as
exhibits.
This month, members have
attended the European Lock
Collectors (ELC) annual
meeting in Dublin which was
planned to provide visits to
Ireland’s National Museum;
Collins Barracks (possible
locks/keys display); Bank of
Ireland tour of underground
vaults; plus Trinity College
library which holds the famous
Book of Kells.
The LCA enjoyed a very good
attendance at the MLA EXPO
in Telford in September, and
as a result hopes to see a boost
in membership in the next few
months.
Plans are also being put
in place to attend the 2014
ELC annual meeting next
September which will take
place in Graz, Austria – which
boasts a large, privately-owned
exhibition building with
displays of many important
locks and keys, many of which
are British.
The current annual
subscription on joining
is just £16, payable by UK
cheque only by pos