The American Lock Collectors Show was almost in our backyard. John Grist invited us to visit and admire, maybe even buy, some of the thousands of collectible locks on display. As beginners, we welcomed a tour of the selling tables and recognized some lock collectibles we already own.
You can collect by company, use, or type of lock (padlock, railroad lock, postal lock, trick lock, miniature lock, figural lock, combination lock, Japanese lock, etc.). The small, lacquered jewelry chest with drawers behind locked doors we gave our granddaughter has a good example of a Japanese lock-it’s rectangular, the center slides out, and the key is long and straight. The form has been used for centuries and is still being made.
Miniature locks appear to be decorative, but we noticed one marked “Rover.” It is a dog collar lock. Very small locks, iron or gold, that can be worn on a charm bracelet were $50 and up. Some are so small they could be used in a doll house.
One table was filled with “restraints,” various forms of handcuffs or leg irons. Other tables had key-shaped banks as well as some locks shaped like keys. Unusual large cutaway locks were advertising displays that showed how well the lock was made. Puzzling trick locks had hidden keyholes meant to confuse burglars. There were all sorts of books, brochures, old catalogs, and other printed material that included information about locks.
We were surprised about how much humor could be found at a lock show. There was a group of “werewolf” locks from the 1870s. The locks, cast at a foundry, featured raised designs of a werewolf head on the front and a tail on the back. There were also “evil eyes” and “skulls,” all designed to keep the superstitious burglar of the 1870s from trying to break in. Toilet locks marked “men” or “women” were selling for $1,800 each. There were “detector” padlocks that rang a bell if someone tried to open them the wrong way.
 Men toilet lock |  Miniature locks |  Werewolf lock |
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.