ever been to a lock museum?

[mouseling]

A few months ago I visited the London Science Museum, and in the basement is this wonderful room filled with old locks. 3 sides of the room are dedicated to displays of the history of locks around the world. In the center of the room is a set of huge oversized lock cutaways that you can practice opening and instructions on how to pick a lock are posted. The 4th wall is dedicated to safe locks. I spent 3 hours playing in there, and can't wait to go back.

Is there anything comparable in the US? There isn't anything in Philly's Franklin Institute, or in Manhatten, I've checked.


-mouse

[oldlock]

The Smithsonian has locks - not sure if they are on display, but the main national collection is held at the Lock Museum in Terryville Conn. I've been there and it's very good.

A better collection for safe locks - but not so easy to get good access to is the Mossman collection in Manhatten - New York.

Paul

[cracksman]

I just checked Mapquest, Terryville is 1 hour 1 minute, 48.1 miles from me.
I'm gonna have to check it out, sounds like a nice little road trip, I can stop on the way down to the beach

Thanks mouseling for the post sounds interesting, Oldlock thanks as well, I'll take some picks when I go and post them, you also helped me pick an old Yale padlock last week, not sure if I thanked you yet I also checked out your site and am becoming more interested in antique locks, which means one more hobby I can't afford

[raimundo]

hey craky, take yer digital camera and share with us!

[Grudge]

You can check out their web site at http://www.lockmuseum.com/.

[mouseling]

Is this the collection at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen? Their website says they have unique locks that were never in mass production. V. cool. I emailed their contact to see how to get access to it. If I find out, I'll post it for everyone.

-mouse

[lockedin]

Now all we need is a museum on the West Coast

[oldlock]

Is this the collection at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen?

-mouse

No - the link is for the Terryville collection.

If you visit the Mossman collection remember to ask to buy a copy of the book - The Lure of the Lock - it should be around $30

Paul

[raimundo]

Terryville is where the old 'Eagle Lock Company' was, when yer there, cracky, see if you can find a barrel key for an old bronze 5 lever railroad padlock for me. Blank would do.

[mouseling]

I heard back from the people who run the Mossman Collection in Manhatten.

here is what they said.

"Thank you for your interest in the Lock Collection. We will be starting
guided tours of the collection in Fall. The cost will be $5 per person.
The times will be announced, please check back in September for the
schedule. A CD of images of the locks is also available to purchase. Please
contact our curator of the lock collection, John Erroll for details on that.
He can be reached via email at rollerbolt@aol.com."

I am so There!

-mouse

[Santos718]

crap, september. I gotta be back in MI in august, School starts. I'm gonna go on one of my breaks.

[EricM]

YAY, first offical TOOOL-USA road trip, this fall, good looking mouse, I wonder if we'll get group or club rates, heh.

::wishful thinking::

[EricM]

lol I'm a dunce,

official*

that's what I get for doing 100 wpm in a hurry!