The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-05-02
FROM LATCH TO LOCK.
Development of the Lock and Key from
Its Rude Form in Ancient Davs-


Its Rude Form in Ancient Davs.
Now that the modern methods of
making our possessions secure have
reached such a state of perfection, IL
may be interesting to note some of the
ancient locks and keys The oldest
substitute for lock and key is the latch
and bolt. and the latter have been used
from the dawn of the most primitive
civilization to the present day At a
very early date-perhaps three thou
sand years ago-the wooden latch was
made more secure by introducing sort
of wooden lever. with notches 70 raise
the latch. This lever is the oldest shape
of the key. and is thrust in the lock
sideways.
In later times it was made of iron,
and still continues to be used in out
of-the-way places all over the world
in Scandinavia. Russia, Germany. in
Upper Egypt, in South America, and
probably in our own country. The
wooden lock held its own through
classic and Byzantine times, but the
keys were made of iron or bronze.
Roman and Byzantine keys were Of
the simplest shape but specimens with
artistically decorated bows are also
found. and the miniature keys Roman
ladies used for their jewel caskets
were OF exquisite workmanship.
Locks made from metal were first in
troduced during the Gothic period, and
artistic door mountings in the shape of
ornamental door hinges, lock plates,
etc, became general The intrica cies
of the inner lock were carried TO the
highest perfection. innumerable notches
being cut in the bit to guard against
wiles of the medi;e val burglar. The
same style of keys continued through
Romantic times.
In the Renaissance period KEYS be-
come real jewels of iron. Busts. mono
grams, coronets, etc, were set in lace
work of tracery or enriched with deli
cate acanthus foliage. which caused the
bows of some of those keys 10 rival the
most delicate jewelry. The Cuillochures
of their shafts apd the complication of
their wards correspond to this ele-
gancc.
The key of Italian workmanship is
fine specimen of artistic ornamcntation
in iron inlaid with silver, while Others
belong to the late Renaissance Just be
fore it merged into the Rococo style.
The notches were stAl a. intricate ms
they used TO be in the Gothic period,
and actually correspond with the wards
or projecting ridges of metal in the in
terror of the lock, so as to prevent any
other key being used in which the
notch did not ft the wards.
With the introduction of the French
box-lock toward the middle of the sew
enteenth century, the no longer visible
inner parts of the lock, as well as the
notches of the key bit. were more or
less neglected, and the latter became
merely ornaments, with no wards to
correspond. During Rocco times the
bows became ornamental in the style
of the period. With the beginning Of
the present century the locltsmiths s art
gradually declined. and only revived
for short interval about sixty years
ago, when ornamental steel keys be-
came feeting fashion.
After this locks and KEYS were pro-
duced by machinery, without hardly
any trace or decoration. Quite recent
ly repeated attempts have been made
to introduce ornamental keys for cabi-
nents, caskets, etc, and the designs
published for this purpose in various
technical journals abroad deserve
every attention. They are copiet and
adapted from the best models of the
Renaissance and Rocco methods N.
Y Recorder