Monday, October 12, 2015
howeenterprise.com
Page #9
Learn about antiques and collectibles with Georgia Caraway skill and qualifications to become master locksmiths by executing the intricate designs of locks and keys for four or more years. Upon acceptance the new master locksmith could set up his own shop and employ apprentices.
The key has been the symbol of mystical charm since Biblical times. The Catholic Church has keys in its coat of arms and during the Middle Ages noblemen and women carried a large collection of keys hanging from their girdles to denote status—the more keys the higher the status. The custom of granting presentation keys began during the earliest years when cities were walled enclaves. When a visitor was held in high esteem by the townspeople, he would be presented with a gold-plated key to the city gate. Thus, we now have the honorary “Key to the City.” Keys to the city are now made of wood, plastic, pot metal, or even cardboard. Ancient Egyptian locks, made of wood and fitted to the outside of the door, took the form of a wooden bar that slid sideways through a large wooden staple and into a cavity in the doorjamb. The keys were large, wooden toothbrush-looking devices with the “bristles” being pegs corresponding to the staple. The Romans developed a smaller iron lock with bronze keys. Keys made in the Middle Ages were very rough and crude with the bows fashioned into lozenge shapes and crosses. Some Medieval keys will be found with rough designs, crests, crowns or other ornamentation on the bows. Locksmith’s apprentices demonstrated their
made the early Western jail cells of the materials at hand, as the cost of shipping a manufactured cell from the East was beyond the resources of most small towns. The lock was a lever tumbler type, not a warded lock. Almost all gate keys have ward cuts or curved bits, to fit specially cut keyholes. During the latter part of the 19th century, and until Keys of the 18th and 19th centuries were pre- the middle of the 20th, manufacturers did make jail mechanization. Most keys of this period have locks that used bit-type keys, single as well as elaborate bits (the end that is inserted into the double-bitted. Many jail keys were large flat keys lock). Many of these keys have designs cut that resemble an overgrown safe deposit key, with into the bits; the cross, crowns, initials, and many square cuts along the edge. Some jail keys other types of designs in about every have the cell number as part of the edge cut to combination. The bows (the top of the key indicate the cell the prisoner was residing in. stem) run from plain iron rings to elaborately cut designs. A SPECIAL EVENT WILL OCCUR IN HOWE ON NOVEMBER 7--THE “SAVE THE Key collecting is such a diversified hobby CHURCH” $10 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT that few collectors today would attempt to BARBEQUE AND AUCTION. MORE THAN acquire extensive holdings of all the various 200 ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE. types. Collectors usually follow PLEASE PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR specialization in one or two main types. AND PLAN TO ATTEND AND SUPPORT THE RESTORATION OF THE 122-YEAR OLD FIRST Among the most popular of the twentiethCHRISTIAN CHURCH BUILDING. TICKETS century keys is the railroad switch key. There ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HOWE ECONOMIC were thousands of railroads over the past 170 DEVELOPMENT BUILDING, 101 EAST years or so, and most issued switch keys. HANING AND AT HOWE MERCANTILE AND Other types of collectible keys are folding TEXAS HOME EMPORIUM 107-109 EAST keys for pocket doors, ship keys, watch keys, HANING. hotel keys, car keys, casket keys, furniture keys, and door keys. Dr. Georgia Caraway, former director of the Jail keys are probably the most difficult of all Denton County Museums for 14 years, and her keys to acquire. Few people outside of friends opened the Howe Mercantile at 107 East prisons really know what a jail key looks like. Haning. Store hours are Thursday through Old Western jails, what few there were, Saturday noon until 8 p.m. In addition to Tips, mostly used hasps and padlocks. A special Tools, & Techniques: Caring for Your Antiques padlock was designed specifically for these and Collectibles, she has written four Denton jails. It was small, secure, and light enough to history books and is working on a 5th history about be shipped the long distance from the Eastern the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo. manufacturers. The keys are unique and difficult to duplicate. Local blacksmiths
