K E Y O F T H E D A Y
This extensive set of keys, in its original wooden cabinet, are from the former Berger Manufacturing Company which moved its administrative offices to Belden Avenue in Canton, Ohio, in 1940. The facilities have since been razed, but this extensive collection of keys tells quite a story, including employee names, work references and dated notes in fountain pen from the 1940s and 50s
Hotel Keys are perhaps the most expressive of Commercial Keys; many come with numbers and symbols embossed on their bows and stories on tags
This variety of hotel keys demonstrates the later tendency to rely solely on the bow for information. In some cases, for security, there is no story
Before the near-total transition to magnetic card locks, many offshore hotels used locks and keys made by American manufacturers
Many European lock companies offer high-security designs. These examples include pieces from England, Europe and Australia