Old keys, Photo by JMorton
Key, Photo by JMorton
Under Lock & Key (to Safety)
We have a really lovely sideboard, in which I’ve stored all my chinas: plates, my lazy Susan, cups and saucers, my special dinner wares. I thought because they are for special occasion, I should store them under lock and key. Well, that was the idea. The problem now is that they are so safe, I can’t get to them, no one can get to them. The key won’t unlock the cupboard anymore.
I don’t really want to force open the sideboard because it is an antique, really beautiful; I don’t want to damage it. It has been with Peter’s family, before I was even born and that was a very long time ago. eeckk 🙂
Anyway with this problem in mind, I got to thinking (as one does) how keys and locks have evolved.
I know that in ancient time, people would bury or leave their valuables in special places such as caves, under a tree, by the riverbank, or obvious landmarks, etc. (Actually, our canine does this. He would bury his dog bones for later use. 🙂 )
The Egyptians and the Chinese used complicated wooden bolts as early as 2000BC.
And then of course Europe started using wooden chests to hide their valuables. The wooden chest graduated into a strong box, and then to the use of safe.
It was Linus Yale, Junior, an American, who developed a lock based on the early Egyptian principle of pin tumblers, the kind of lock that we still use today.
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I think, like me, Benjamin Franklin had a problem with one of his keys and it had become rather redundant as it would not opened the furniture it was supposed to unlock. Ergo he used that key to conduct his now famous experiment of attaching a key to a kite, which he flew during a thunderstorm. The key was electrified, thus he invented the lightning conductor.
Keys are also used as a coming of age gift. When my son turned 13, under much pomp and ceremony, he got his first set of house keys, which he promptly lost. 🙁
Apparently ancient Rome used to have this tradition of giving the keys for the household to new brides.