Alarm, Burglar

Object Name:

Alarm, Burglar

Object ID:

1965.077.05

Place of Origin:

Hartford, CT

Date:

1867

Description:

Burglar alarm. Metal, fiber, paper, and wood.
A. Bright orange, painted sheet-metal box. Made of one piece of sheet metal with corners removed and sides folded down so remaining metal meets in each corner where joints are soldered together. Hole in top near one end. Square steel shaft extends through hole and is fastened to a winding piece, 0.3" high x 1.6" long; wing thickness 0.12". Round central hub fits over steel shaft. Threads on corners of this shaft below brass winding piece. At opposite end is small tab that extends through small slot in metal. Appears to be soldered in place; has flat end and clipped corners. Small dent in center of it. Box has gold, abstract, fanciful vine decoration on it and on the two long sides. Single, round-head escutcheon pin on bottom, center edge of each side that holds wood piece in bottom of box. Printed paper label adhered to bottom of box; faded purple with black printing. Text enclosed in double-black line around edge of bottom. Top line has outline around each letter: "PATENT / BURGULAR ALARM. / PATENTED NOVEMBER 19TH, 1867. (thin line) / Directions. / Turn the Thumb Key to the left, until wound up. Set / the TOGGLE BRACE in a straight line one end in the indenta- / tions in thumb key, the other in the projection at the other / end of case. Attach the cord to window or door, which when / raised or opened with set the alarm off."

B. Brass and cord fiber toggle brace. Cord fiber unknown. Toggle has two arms that pivot around a single point. One arm has eyelet that protrudes from one side near pivot. Other arm has folded-over tab that captures the other arm. Both are sheet brass. Thickness: 0.032". Cord tied to it: 18" long. Cord has loop at outer end.

C. Z-twist cord.

D. Paperboard box. Box top is single piece folded at edges and joined at corners. Bottom is two-piece. Sides are folded at corners and joined by overlap near one corner. Bottom held in place by decorative exterior paper folded over top edge, runs down side and extends about 1/2" across bottom. Corners folded over each other and glued in place. Vertical seam in paper up middle of one long side. Possible addition underlying strip of paper along bottom edge and partway up side. It overlaps edges by about 0.5". Printed, small, diamond-shaped pattern on exterior paper. The repeat size both horizontal and vertical is 0.3". Small purple outline star in center of each diamond, then solid purple circles in each corner. Small space between each diamond to create lattice-like pattern. On one end is printed paper label, 0.13", 2.2" wide. Text in outline form: "Burglar Alarm." Small horizontal line below it with couple decorative elements in center. "PATENTED NOV. 19TH, 1867."

Material:

Metal
Fiber
Brass

Dimensions:

H-2.4 W-2.6 L-4.4 inches

Provenance:

Owned by Luther D. Peaslee (1810-1905), Kingston, NH.

Credit Line:

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Jewett

People:

Peaslee, Luther D. (1810-1905)

Subjects:

Burglar alarms