American Vault, Safe and Lock Co.

Doug MacQueen

Every once in a while I run across old ads for safe companies past and this is one I have never heard of before. Kind of surprising too if their ad was indeed factual. The company started making safes in 1891 and seems to have had a very short life. But the use of the “Gem Time Lock” and its Chicago based outlet indicates a possible connection with the “Chicago Safe and Lock Co.” Anyone seen one of these chests? Doug

cleanestinstall

Hey Doug, thank you for posting this add. I realize this is an old thread, but I actually found it because I was looking for info on this exact safe. I do have one and am looking for a time lock for it. (unfortunately it is missing). Do you have any information on the Gem Time Lock? who was it made by etc? I will attach some pictures for you and for others. On the automatic bolt operator it does say Chicago Safe & Lock co. from my understanding American Vault bought Chicago Safe in 1891. Hope these help.

Doug MacQueen

And thank you for posting those pictures. According to John Erroll in his book “American Genius” there are 6 of those timelocks known to exist. So there is hope. I suspect that John has at least one. I should be able to find out for sure very soon when I see his personal collection and will PM you so you can contact him directly. Doug

Tom Gordon

Doug MacQueen wrote
And thank you for posting those pictures. According to John Erroll in his book “American Genius” there are 6 of those timelocks known to exist. So there is hope. I suspect that John has at least one. I should be able to find out for sure very soon when I see his personal collection and will PM you so you can contact him directly. Doug

How odd that the most prominent address was in Chicago rather than Elizabeth!

[unknown]

Doug MacQueen

Hi Tom. It is not so odd when you consider the competition in the Eastern U.S. at the time. The West was an expanding market and Chicago was a railroad hub for access to the Western states. Also I suspect Chicago S&L was the larger company of the two, based on known examples of existing safes. Doug

Riyame

Would this happen to be the same company as the United States Safe Company? Perhaps a changed name at a later date?

I have a S&G 6650 with a dial with their company name on it and was googling around and this thread popped up.

Doug MacQueen

That thought has occurred to me but I have found very little on either company. I have seen a few United States bank vault doors but that doesn’t answer the question.

Riyame

Well, this one was from a probably matched pair of locks so they could have come from a vault door. They were close in number, one LH and one RH. A friend and I split them since we figured they were going to go for several times what they actually did.

At least you have another picture to add to the mystery 🙁rofl):