Vault Door Book?

VaultDoors · 2013-11-30T02:53:33+00:00

Does anyone know of a book dedicated to antique vault doors? Preferably a picture book with color close ups of boltwork, schematics, stats, and a location index? I searched the Web but could not find anything. Locations would be helpful so I could visit the sites when traveling. I have the book American Genius by Erroll and Erroll but that is focused on bank locks and time clocks.

Doug MacQueen

Doing a bit more reading on Frederick S. Holmes, it appears he was the pre-eminent NYC vault designer of the Teens and early Twenties. Remote mounting of the locks was his thing, although I have still been unable to find any early patent to that effect. At least as early as 1912 he was using this design, requiring at least two attack points to be made. Sometimes the timelock is covered but the combinations are always protected on the inside by steel plates. So far I have found he used this idea not just on Remington Sherman and York but HHM and Mosler vaults, though not all were round doors. So the similarities seen between the RM and York doors were all his doing. Doug

wylk

Do you know of specific vaults that Holmes designed? I’d like to include that in my catalog. There are three I know of: Colorado National Bank, Denver; 100 Broadway, NYC; One King West, Toronto. As busy as he was, there must be more.

I was not able to find images for 100 Broadway (now Bank of Tokyo) or any details on the vault other than Holmes as designer.

To be picky, I suppose a vault (which is really just a room) could have been designed by Holmes but fitted with an off-the-shelf door by one of the manufacturers. Of course he might push his own door design and subcontract for manufacture. Emil Strauss did that.

Ryan Krakowsky

The vault at 120 Broadway in NYC was engineered by Holmes, and built by York.

Doug MacQueen

Rhode Island Hospital Trust, Providence R.I. York sq door — Nassau Nat. Bank, Brooklyn, RS sq door —Guaranty Trust 5th at 43rd Mosler and/or York — Bankers Trust Wall at Nassau HHM sq door — American Surety Bldg. 100 Broadway — National Exchange Bank Baltimore York door —Brooklyn Trust —Equitable Bldg 120 Broadway — Bank of Montreal —Citizens National Bank — Columbia Trust Co. —Title Guarantee and Trust Co. — New York Clearing House — JP Morgan 23 Wall —Importers and Traders National Bank — Central Savings — NY Fed Reserve—

wylk

As long as we’re talking about Holmes, here is a photo:

Adrian Weber

Interesting guy that Holmes and cool name 🙁giggle):

VaultDoors

I just purchased some Mosler Vault Door Brochures and Plans from the 1950s. I would be happy to share the information if anyone is interested.

wylk

VaultDoors wrote
I just purchased some Mosler Vault Door Brochures and Plans from the 1950s. I would be happy to share the information if anyone is interested.

I am very interested. Perhaps you could scan these and post the results here?

[unknown]

VaultDoors

wylk wrote
I am very interested. Perhaps you could scan these and post the results here?

I have an older scanner that takes forever to scan. I can mail them to you if you like.

[unknown]

wylk

VaultDoors wrote
I have an older scanner that takes forever to scan. I can mail them to you if you like.

OK, let me know when you get them and are done looking them over.

[unknown]

wylk

Here’s a noteworthy vault door I have added to my “catalog.” This is in Providence, Rhode Island. The former home of the Industrial Trust Company (1927/1928), then Bank of America until earlier this year, the building is now vacant which makes viewing difficult at best assuming it’s locked up tight while awaiting its future. I did find an image of a vault door presumably for safe deposit boxes and was astounded by its apparent thickness.

I am presuming this is a York door based on the frame-mounted controls that look like other York (and Remington-Sherman, which was acquired by York) doors. The building is at 111 Westminster Street and is nicknamed the “Superman Building” because it looks like the Daily Planet building in the old TV show (which was really the Los Angeles city hall). This image is from http://www.providencejournal.com/topics/photos/featured/20130520-inside-the-superman-building.ece?ssimg=1024003.

Tom Gordon

incredible door!

VaultDoors

wylk wrote
OK, let me know when you get them and are done looking them over.

I received the Mosler brochures the other day. There is a lot of great information! If you PM me an address I will put them in next week’s mail.

Contents (13 Items):
1-½″ Vault Door No. LD-1-½ Flat Sill (April 1950 blue brochure, 6 pgs) assuming LD = Light Duty
3-½″ Vault Door No. LD-3-½ Flat Sill (August 1954 blue brochure, 6 pgs, exposed boltwork)
3-½″ Vault Door No. LD-3-½ Flat Sill (April 1960 black and white brochure, 6 pgs, concealed boltwork)
3-½″ Vault Door No. LD-3-½ Flat Sill (After 1960 brown and white brochure, 6 pgs, concealed boltwork and modern hinge, 2 separate plans)
7″ Vault Door No. 2807 Flat Sill (May 1950 green brochure, 6 pgs, smooth door edge)
7″ Vault Door No. 4807 Flat Sill (May 1950 red brochure, 6 pgs, stepped door edge)
10″ Vault Door No. 2810 Flat Sill (May 1953, green brochure, 6 pgs)
10″ Emergency Door No. RE-310 (December 1951, red brochure, 6 pgs)
16″ Emergency Door No. RE-316 (December 1951, red brochure, 6 pgs)
2 Hour Insulated Flat Sill Vault Door (March 1959, blue and white brochure, 4 pgs, double doors)
4 Hour Insulated Flat Sill Vault Door (March 1959, blue and white brochure, 4 pgs, single door)
6 Hour Insulated Flat Sill Vault Door (March 1959, blue and white brochure, 4 pgs, single door)
Century Vault Ventilator No. 5-A (April 1958, red and white brochure, 4 pgs)

[unknown]

VaultDoors

I found an interesting pic here of the former Irwin Union Bank and Trust vault that has holes in the jamb to accept the locking bolts.

VaultDoors

wylk wrote
As long as we’re talking about Holmes, here is a photo:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10060[/ATTACH]

Here is an interesting article Holmes wrote titled "The Design and Construction of Modern Bank Vaults" that appeared in Bank Buildings by The Architectural Review in March, 1905.

[unknown]

wylk

I found another impressive door:

This is 20 Pine Street in NYC (Manhattan), once the Chase National Bank Building (1928, 38 floors), later Two Chase Manhattan Plaza, now merely 20 Pine consisting of residential condominiums. See http://www.emporis.com/building/20pine-newyorkcity-ny-usa and http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703583404576080254190220750 from which this image is taken, and http://www.multihousingnews.com/news/northeast/a-peak-into-the-new-residential-financial-district/1004047749.html. The vault has been converted into a pool.

Probably a York door based on the frame-mounted controls (with the handwheel missing). I can’t tell for sure but the image suggests the door has been painted, possibly to inhibit rust from the humidity and chlorine vapors of the pool.

wylk

Here’s an image and article on a vault I knew existed but had not found any pictures. One Chase Manhattan Plaza in New York:

The Mosler Century door is 45 tons and 20 inches thick (assuming they didn’t photograph one of the 35-ton doors).

VaultDoors

Ryan Krakowsky wrote
The vault at 120 Broadway in NYC was engineered by Holmes, and built by York.

Doesn’t having a periscope and exposed numbered dials defeat the purpose? Most remote combination locks I’ve seen have blank dials…

[unknown]

wylk

VaultDoors wrote
Doesn’t having a periscope and exposed numbered dials defeat the purpose? Most remote combination locks I’ve seen have blank dials…

A good point, and thanks for spotting the incongruity. From available images it looks like there is a wall just to the right of the control “pod”. A spy would have to stand right next to the operator to see the dials, which would seem unlikely as long as the operator(s) know of the danger. The numbered dials might have been a backup in case the light bulb inside the mechanism burned out?

[unknown]

VaultDoors

wylk wrote
A good point, and thanks for spotting the incongruity. From available images it looks like there is a wall just to the right of the control “pod”. A spy would have to stand right next to the operator to see the dials, which would seem unlikely as long as the operator(s) know of the danger. The numbered dials might have been a backup in case the light bulb inside the mechanism burned out?

…and it has similar pins as the One King West remote combo.

[unknown]

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