Lock, Door

Object Name:

Lock, Door

Object ID:

1977.055.32

Place of Origin:

Durham, NH, area

Description:

Lock set, with key. Recessed door lock, 6.3" high, 10.8" wide, 1.3" deep. Metal part of lock recessed into larger piece of wood. Held in place by six flathead wood screws (four on case, two on jamb side). Heavy rectangular bolt, 1.9" high, 0.9" deep. Bolt key actuated. Four holes in corners of wood portion indicating lock was probably screwed to something else. Heavy plate screwed to back of wood block over the key insertion hole, 6.8" high, 2.4" wide, 0.15" thick. Oval hole near center with chamfered edges. Seven counter-sunk holes on plate. Four flathead wood screws holding plate to wood. Piece of sheet metal, 7.2"high, 2.8" wide, 0.03" thick near right edge on back; two holes in it corresponding to mounting holes for whole lock assembly. Sheet metal piece held in place with four small nails. Two triangular cutouts on side of sheet metal pieces, toward center of lock assembly. Two scribe marks associated with cutouts. One corner of sheet metal torn off. Missing area corresponds with large abraded area in wood. Dark shadow mark on opposite end of back. Shape of shadow almost mirror image of sheet metal piece at other end. Some abrasions on surface where missing piece was. Five empty nail holes where piece missing. One with broken-off nail stub, making six total. Slight evidence of smooth black finish on metal surface of lock. ~11 small bumps on front surface of lock due to some of the internal lock parts penetrating surface, flush with surface. Symmetrical key hole with several rectangular and triangular shapes cutout on opposite sides of vertical central axis. Three thin plates inside lock, parallel to front surface, seen through key hole. Appears to be brass ferrule around key hole on back. Outside of ferrule fits loosely inside hole inside wood, underneath heavy plate previously mentioned.

Key: Cast steel body. Oval-shaped handle on one end with slight bulge near center at end. Key shaft molded with handle with straight tapered area, wide turned key, then turned ogee shape, then slightly-expanding, short straight taper leading to cylindrical shaft. Shaft 2.3" long, with two pawls appearing to be inserted into shaft, 1.05" long. The one at end is 0.26" thick, second 0.31" thick, front to back. Positive symmetrical design that fits into cutout on lock. Inserted into lock when open, it takes 3/4 of a turn to actuate deadbolt. Attached to key is a piece of textile twisted rope fastening flat wooden piece to key, 6.1" long, 1.3" wide, 0.5" thick. Well worn. Ends rounded. Piece broken out of far end. Rope goes through a hole at left end. Three characters chipped carved, appears to be "A[L]E". "L" worn. May not be "L". Could be another character to left but very worn and abraded.

Material:

Wood
Metal
Steel

Dimensions:

H-7.2 W-14 D-2.1 inches Weight-109.2 oz

Provenance:

From the James Cowan Sawyer Collection of household items, farm tools and equipment, and other items used in the Durham, NH, area.

Credit Line:

James Cowan Sawyer Collection, Gift of George F. Sawyer and Charles H. Sawyer

People:

Sawyer, James Cowan (1872-1944), Sawyer, George F. (1902-1992), Sawyer, Charles H. (1906-2005)

Subjects:

Locks (Hardware), Door fittings, Keys (Hardware)