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- Master Lock Company Door Lock, 1922-1925 -
- 1922-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Master Lock Company Door Lock, 1922-1925
- Automobile Wheel Lock, circa 1920 - Locking the doors on an open car was pointless. But owners could lock the wheels with devices like this Stop Thief car lock, made about 1920. The device would hamper the thief's driving ability and alert onlookers that the car was stolen.
- circa 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Automobile Wheel Lock, circa 1920
Locking the doors on an open car was pointless. But owners could lock the wheels with devices like this Stop Thief car lock, made about 1920. The device would hamper the thief's driving ability and alert onlookers that the car was stolen.
- Detroit Brass Works Padlock Used by Detroit & Bay City Railroad, 1870-1875 - Railroad employees depended on padlocks to secure track switches, signals, and equipment. Generally, these locks were standardized so that multiple workers could open them with identically cut keys. Railroad locks later became popular with collectors. The Detroit & Bay City Railroad, opened in 1872, connected its namesake cities in Michigan. It became part of the Michigan Central Railroad in 1881.
- 1870-1875
- Collections - Artifact
Detroit Brass Works Padlock Used by Detroit & Bay City Railroad, 1870-1875
Railroad employees depended on padlocks to secure track switches, signals, and equipment. Generally, these locks were standardized so that multiple workers could open them with identically cut keys. Railroad locks later became popular with collectors. The Detroit & Bay City Railroad, opened in 1872, connected its namesake cities in Michigan. It became part of the Michigan Central Railroad in 1881.
- Yale Padlock with Chain, circa 1930 -
- circa 1930
- Collections - Artifact
Yale Padlock with Chain, circa 1930
- Spare Tire Lock, circa 1920 - Spare tires were tempting targets for thieves in the era when they were mounted on the outside of car bodies. A chain like this provided an inelegant but effective deterrent. In the 1930s, the gradual adoption of lockable trunks integrated into the car body, where spares could be stored, made chain locks unnecessary.
- circa 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Spare Tire Lock, circa 1920
Spare tires were tempting targets for thieves in the era when they were mounted on the outside of car bodies. A chain like this provided an inelegant but effective deterrent. In the 1930s, the gradual adoption of lockable trunks integrated into the car body, where spares could be stored, made chain locks unnecessary.
- L. Miller & Son Store Display of Locks and Keys, 1923-1928 - Louis Miller, a Russian Jewish immigrant to Chicago, started and operated L. Miller & Son hardware. A highlight of his store (located in an East European immigrant neighborhood) was an elaborate and extensive tool and hardware display that literally showcased the store's stock: not only great salesmanship but also a benefit to customers with a language barrier.
- 1923-1928
- Collections - Artifact
L. Miller & Son Store Display of Locks and Keys, 1923-1928
Louis Miller, a Russian Jewish immigrant to Chicago, started and operated L. Miller & Son hardware. A highlight of his store (located in an East European immigrant neighborhood) was an elaborate and extensive tool and hardware display that literally showcased the store's stock: not only great salesmanship but also a benefit to customers with a language barrier.