Unlocking the Sociology of Keys

I have long been fascinated by keys and locks - wondering what these keys once opened and whose pretty pockets they hid in. I imagine that the doors they once opened are long gone now and there lies a great freedom. Over the centuries, keys have had many different meanings and significances in people’s lives. One thing that has remained the same is their ability to unlock not just doors and cabinets, but a

window into the past.

I . Egyptian

II. Roman111. Viking

IV. Vic tor ianV. Modern

The oldest known lock was found near the ruins

of Nineveh, Egypt. The key had pegs of assorted

lengths, and if the key was inserted correctly,

the pegs on the key would line up with the

tumblers allowing you to move the cross beam

and open the door. These locks were up to 2 ft

(61 cm) long and their keys were long, wooden

bars resembling a toothpick. These locks were

used on full size doors to protect strong rooms

which were used for storing valuables, food or

whatever needed safe guarding.

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The Romans’ metal pin locks evolved out

of the Egyptian wooden locks. They were

often small masterpieces of precision

and design. The keys were usually made

of bronze and iron, but sometimes of

precious metals, and were worn on the

fingers as rings. This created a stronger

sense of security. Metal is much more

durable and isn’t easily destroyed by

burglars. This Roman expansion in metal

technology was a stepping-stone which

was utilized by Linus Yale in his invention

of the pin tumbler lock.

Married women had an exalted,

respected position in society. Upon

marriage, the woman became the

key bearer, responsible for the

family’s treasures. She wore the

household’s keys on her dress as

a symbol of her power. The keys

hung in a highly visible location

from her tool clasp or on a metal

chain worn outside her clothes.

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The industrial revolution allowed the production of keys to be faster than ever. Previously, marvelous strong locks had been made only for princes and merchants while penny padlocks were all that was available to protect a poor man’s coal store or a carpet bag against a casual thief. There was a demand for locks for windows and doors of dwelling houses. As institutions grew, locks were needed for bibles, pews and pulpits, schools, prisons, asylums, carriages, ships’ cabins, art galleries, warehouses and factories.

Most of the locks now in use are variations of

the models produce in the 1800s. Keys provide

an inexpensive, though imperfect, method of

authentication for access to properties like

buildings and vehicles. As such, keys are an

essential feature of modern living in the developed

world, and are common around the globe. It is

common for people to carry the set of keys they

need for their daily activities around with them,

often linked by a key ring adorned by key chains.

M o d e r nP r e s e n t

Sourceshttp://science.jrank.org/pages/3989/Lock-Key-History.htmlhttp://ezinearticles.com/?A-Safe-History-of-Locks&id=2294009http://www.charleslocksmith.com/ancient_egyptian_locks.htmhttp://www.victorianweb.org/technology/tempest/1.htmlhttp://www.locks.ru/germ/informat/schlagehistory.htmhttp://www.queensnewyork.com/history/locks.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_(lock)

FontsEgyptian: Optima, by Hermann Zapf, 1952-1955, Linotype Foundry. Optima’s capitals are directly derived from the classic Roman monumental capital model.Roman: Trajan Pro, by Carol Twombly, 2001, Adobe Type. The design is based on the inscription at the base of Trajan’s Column.Viking: Viking, from dafont.com, 2004. V ic tor ian : Caslon, by William Caslon, 1722, Caslon Type Foundry, The typeface saw a revival between 1840–80 as a part of the British Arts and Crafts movement.Modern: Futura, by Paul Renner, 1927, Bauer Type Foundry. Futura remains an important typeface family and is used on a daily basis.

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