History Of Locks 69
the first time in order to make
the locks commercially viable.
The tools were designed
by Bramah and brought to
fruition by Henry Maudsley,
a young but skilled engineer.
Some of those early machines
are now in the Science
Museum, and one, with the
addition of an electric motor,
is still in use by Bramah today
when asked to cut the earlier
style keys.
Bramah was justly proud of
his invention; even displaying
a lock in his prestigious shop
First model
window in Piccadilly, offering
a reward that anyone who
could produce an instrument
to open the lock would receive
200 guineas. This challenge
remained prominently on
display for many years until, in
1851 it came to the attention
of A C Hobbs, an American,
exhibiting Day & Newell’s
locks at the World Trades Fair
in Crystal Palace who accepted
the challenge and managed to
open the Bramah lock.
The story is well
documented, including the
conditions under which
Hobbs was to work, which
in reality would never occur
in practice. Despite protests,
the prize money was paid.
Interestingly, some 25 years
later, when Hobbs had
returned to America, and
was no longer involved with
locks, he admitted that he had
drilled into a part of the lock,
to aid his instruments. He then
repaired the hole with a plug
and disguised the repair with a
dab of acid!
It is said that, the copying
of an idea or principle is the
highest form of compliment,
acknowledging the inventor
who originally conceived
it. After the expiry of the
patents many companies,
Final version
both in the UK and abroad,
have either made direct
copies of Bramah’s lock or
even developed the principle
further.
This article is a taster of
a far more comprehensive
study which is in preparation.
Everybody has a chance to
do a little bit of ‘Industrial
Archaeology’. Hopefully this
story has inspired you to have
a look at your furniture, door
locks and padlocks or that tin
of keys which you’ve kept, in
case they might be useful one
day.
Look for the unmistakable
signs and clues that it’s a
Bramah style key or lock.
Take some pictures, record
any words, logos or numbers
on the lock or key. Note any
comments regarding its
provenance, such as how long
you have had it and of course
any context that you can add.
Please contact me with
your findings; Brian Morland,
curator of the Heritage
Collection of Locks and Keys,
welcomes comments and
corrections on historical
aspects of locks and keys.
Email: [email protected]
locksmithjournal.co.uk | SEP/OCT 2015
Sponsored by TradeLocks