Parma Antonio & Figli, Milan

wylk · 2015-03-04T00:02:15+00:00

I found a “new” vault door in an article about Parma Antonio & Figli in Milan, Italy (http://www.parmasicurezza.it/ and http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.parmasicurezza.it/&prev=search for English). I discovered this via an article in Monocle magazine (http://monocle.com, http://monocle.com/magazine/issues/50/a-silver-lining/) but you either have to buy the article or subscribe to read it. At least the images can be viewed. I assume this is the same Parma we have discussed in the past. The most interesting images deal with a large round door that probably dates to the early 20th century: Some interesting points: The door incorporates two thin copper bands, reminiscent of Mosler Donsteel doors. This means one must be careful when tempted to ID a door as Mosler merely via copper bands, though I haven’t found a Mosler with this pattern of two thin bands. The glass panels are laid out in a pattern that looks just like Remington and Sherman doors. The pressure-bar handwheel has etched lettering in the same style as Mosler. The hinge-side pressure-bar anchor is rather distinctive, an aid in identifying the maker. In the second image it looks like there is some sort of doorway in the background but with a mirror. The outer room is rather dismal-looking, metal plates with rivets. I’m not sure about where this door is. It’s described as “Vault at Cariplo Bank” which might be the building where the Cariplo Foundation now resides.

VaultDoors

Here’s a better picture of the exterior of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank vault

Huw Eastwood

That’s a superbly beautiful door. Not my cup of tea at all, but undoubtedly beautiful- belongs in Count Ludwig’s Castle in Bavaria though. He probably already had one for his cigars… the decoration certainly oozes European style and influence- wonder what George Price would have made of it?

Chubby

MaxVaultage wrote
That’s a superbly beautiful door. Not my cup of tea at all, but undoubtedly beautiful- belongs in Count Ludwig’s Castle in Bavaria though. He probably already had one for his cigars… the decoration certainly oozes European style and influence- wonder what George Price would have made of it?

Funny you should mention George Price. I was thinking about him only yesterday. Might start a new thread.

[unknown]

Syd Waterman

Doug MacQueen wrote
I was thinking that too. What I can see of the door face would indicate otherwise. Inside looks a little bit like a Herring. If the door is in fact 1875 the Yale timelock may have been added later. Using Yales comb may not be so strange on a door destined for the U.S. Really like to see the lower lock, whatever it is. I will contact John Erroll to see if he is willing to do a little research on that door. Doug

Looking at the embellishment on the lock case I think that the lower lock could possibly be an Isham Key Register made by the New Britain Bank Lock Co.
Any views on this theory?
Patent

[unknown]

wylk

Patent wrote
Looking at the embellishment on the lock case I think that the lower lock could possibly be an Isham Key Register made by the New Britain Bank Lock Co.
Any views on this theory?
Patent

Here is a close-up of the lower lock, the text is difficult to read but I think it does say in part “By The New Britain Bank Lock Co.” This doesn’t closely match the Isham Key Register lock in the book American Genius but it might be related?

[unknown]

Syd Waterman

wylk wrote
Here is a close-up of the lower lock, the text is difficult to read but I think it does say in part “By The New Britain Bank Lock Co.” This doesn’t closely match the Isham Key Register lock in the book American Genius but it might be related?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13209[/ATTACH]

Thanks Wylk for posting a close-up. If you look closely at the patent date is it July 1856 & 7 ? The lock could be associated with the Isham patents 15239 and 17740.
Now that would be a real find!
Patent

[unknown]

Paul Prescott

I concur re the Isham, this door gets better and better.

Doug MacQueen

I checked the 1856 and 57 patent index and there is no doubt the dates refer to the Isham patents for those years. The case shape is more in line with the 1856 patent and known lock examples as the 57 patent lock is wider in relation to the height, so it looks like the lock would have to be removed to see exactly what it is.

Huw Eastwood

wow- well spotted Patent! just how rare are the Isham’s, is it down to only a handful of known examples?

VaultDoors

‘Locking Mechanism for Safe or Vault Doors’ Patent 1,173,068 shows an emergency door in the center of the main vault door, notice the double crane hinge. It also uses cam wedges ILO locking bolts on both doors. Was this door ever built?

Patent: https://www.google.com/patents/US1173068?dq=1,173,068&hl=en&sa=X&ei=axkFVe28C8-oogSLvYGgCw&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA

Syd Waterman

MaxVaultage wrote
wow- well spotted Patent! just how rare are the Isham’s, is it down to only a handful of known examples?

Reference “American Genius - Most commonly made as a stand-alone lock, approximately thirty examples of Isham’s Key Register lock remain”.
An advert in 1868-69 for the Isham Key Register Bank Lock claims “ The Stock Exchange and Safe Deposit vaults in New York City are now using 418 of this lock”
If the lock on the Williamsburgh Savings Bank vault is an Isham then add +1 to the total known.
Patent.

[unknown]

Doug MacQueen

Yes Patent, I think you have it. I compared the lock with several examples of the New Britain Isham locks in the Mossman collection. The size and markings are the same from what I can tell.

Doug MacQueen

Regarding that Von Philp round vault door, the odds are pretty good that it was made. No examples of it exist, to my knowledge, but rare finds of patented locks, safes and vaults keep occurring on a regular basis.

Huw Eastwood

VaultDoors wrote
‘Locking Mechanism for Safe or Vault Doors’ Patent 1,173,068 shows an emergency door in the center of the main vault door, notice the double crane hinge. It also uses cam wedges ILO locking bolts on both doors. Was this door ever built?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13218[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]13219[/ATTACH]

Patent: https://www.google.com/patents/US1173068?dq=1,173,068&hl=en&sa=X&ei=axkFVe28C8-oogSLvYGgCw&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA

The cams and bolts are certainly a bit different and the door-within-the-door ridiculous, but those aspects aside, the general appearance with drive via connecting rods and the circular windows reminds me of the early Hibbard Rodman Ely doors.

[unknown]

wylk

VaultDoors wrote
‘Locking Mechanism for Safe or Vault Doors’ Patent 1,173,068 shows an emergency door in the center of the main vault door, notice the double crane hinge. It also uses cam wedges ILO locking bolts on both doors. Was this door ever built?

People who enjoyed this post may also enjoy http://www.antique-locks.com/showthread.php/1593-What-Was-He-Thinking-II as well as http://www.antique-locks.com/showthread.php/1574-What-Was-He-Thinking?

[unknown]

wylk

Strauss also patented a door-in-door, US 901,047:

VaultDoors

Here is an interesting vault door installation at a residential boat house:

Album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cantonviaduct/sets/72157649167768394/

Article: http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-755347.html

wylk

VaultDoors wrote
Here is an interesting vault door installation at a residential boat house:

That answers a question in my “door catalog” – At 176 Main Street, Los Altos, CA, there was a nice vault in a former Bank of the West. But there were claims it had been demolished. So now we know the door is gone and has found a new home (but where?). It also looks like the center glass was broken during the move, I hope the new owner replaces it and takes some serious rust-prevention measures.

It looks like a late Herring-Hall-Marvin door. This image could make a nice Windows desktop.

[unknown]

David Hovey

wylk wrote
That answers a question in my “door catalog” – At 176 Main Street, Los Altos, CA, there was a nice vault in a former Bank of the West. But there were claims it had been demolished.
It also looks like the center glass was broken during the move, I hope the new owner replaces it and takes some serious rust-prevention measures.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13268[/ATTACH]

It looks like a late Herring-Hall-Marvin door. This image could make a nice Windows desktop.

So now we know the door is gone and has found a new home (but where?).
Madison Wisconsin. Lake Mendota

[unknown]

VaultDoors

VaultDoors wrote
Was this door ever built?]

Well, maybe not this exact door but…I just found an emergency door inside a vault door at The Vault Cafe in Phoenix, AZ. I’ll go there next week for lunch and see if I can get some pics of the other side of the door:

[unknown]

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