Summary

Triple-action mortice-type insert door lock with shooting bolt, deadbolt and spring-loaded latch bolt, ornate gilt face-plate and snip turn catch.

Believed to have been manufactured by the Yale Lock Manufacturing Co., Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., around 1880 or earlier.

The Yale Lock Manufacturing Company was founded in October 1868 by Linus Yale Jr. (1821-1868) and Henry Robinson Towne (1844-1924), with their purpose-built lock manufacturing works in Stamford, Connecticut, opening the following year. The 'Yale' name was already well regarded in the lock-making trade with Linus Yale Sr. (1797-1858) having founded the Yale Lock Shop in Newport, New York, in 1847, specialising in the hand manufacture of high-security bank safe and vault locks. Between 1843 and 1857, Linus Yale Sr. had lodged 8 patents with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for innovations in pin tumbler safe locks, safe locks, bank lock, vault and safe door bolts and padlocks. Linus Yale Jr. joined his father's business in 1850, initiating further innovations with 20 patents lodged in his name between 1851 and 1871. His most significant contributions included improved 'safety' bank vault & safe locks, the modern multi-pin tumbler cylinder lock, the first keyless combinations lock, lockable post-office boxes and padlock designs. He died suddenly from a heart attack on Christmas Day 1868, shortly before his new manufacturing venture with Towne commenced operations, but the business was a success, expanding rapidly from an initial workforce of 35 to over 3,000 employees by 1912. Following a diversification of the product range into materials handling equipment, the business name was changed to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co. in 1883.

The original catalogue card states that this lock sample was: 'Sent out for the 1881 International Exhibition' and the 'Report of the Trustees of the Public Library, Museums, & National Gallery of Victoria for 1881' records a donation from Messrs. J. Renard Bros. of 'sixty examples of locks, bolts, &c., with show case', from the Yale Lock Manufacturing Co., of which this item is possibly a remnant. The Yale Lock Co., of the United States, was awarded a first order of merit for its display of locks at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-1881.

A feature of the Melbourne Exhibition was the installation of 92 private boxes at the Exhibition post-office, each secured by a Yale lock and unique key, and made available for hire to the public at rates of from 10s to £1 each for the six months' duration. It was reported in 'The Argus' (18 Oct 1880), that the installation was arranged by Yale Lock Company's agents, Messrs Renard Brothers, 'with the approval of the Post office authorities', and was the first use of private boxes in Australia, outside of Queensland, although 'these boxes are in universal use in American and Canadian post offices'.

Physical Description

Upright rectangular cased mortice type door lock and latch mechanism with gilt faceplate featuring inset decoration. The lock has three rectangular bolts: at top a smaller rectangular shooting bolt snip lock with an ornate gilt turn catch on the inside face; in the middle a flat key operated dead lock with a large rectangular deadbolt; and at the bottom a spring-loaded latch bolt with rotary tumbler designed for double-sided rotary door knobs on a standard square spindle.

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