NEW BRITAIN – The New Britain Industrial Museum’s new Under Lock and Key exhibit allows guests to explore the history and design innovations of Corbin Cabinet Lock Co., Russell & Erwin and more.

“All these locks and keys were made in New Britain,” said Roger Thorin, collection manager.

The display showcases all different types of locks, including Scandinavian and Jailhouse locks.

“The reason they’re Scandinavian is because Christopher Polhem, he’s the guy who invented these locks, he was from Sweden. He was around from 1661-1751, so this was of the earliest locks,” Thorin said. “There are no springs inside; it’s all done with wheels. So when you put the key in there are a bunch of wheels inside that have to line up when you turn it [then] all the wheels move out of the way and you can lift the piece out. They’re almost impossible to pick.”

There are also the Church locks, or Warded locks. There were all different types of Warded locks, but the keys were all slightly different.

“It has to do with the key; the mechanisms inside were all the same, simple, but the key is what made them secure,” Thorin said. “One lock in the display, produced by North & Stanley, was a gift of John Walter.”

Some locks were produced with levers, with some having eight different levers that would have to align for it to open.

Rim locks were bolted to the back of the door and the keys to open them were extremely long.

“The only thing in the front would be a hole to put the key through,” Thorin said. “The keys were so long because they had to go through the door itself to get into the lock to turn to open the bolt that would be on the inside.”

Japan Finish locks, also called Smokehouse locks, were used to lock up the smokehouses, sheds and barns.

For more security, some locks had double cylinders, all in an effort to keep locks from getting picked.

“The more complicated they are the harder it is to pick,” Thorin said.

They also created push keys, pin tumberls, which is the latest and standard locks, and novelties.

“They made locks for the government, the military, and Corbin made tons of locks for the post office,” Thorin said.

The evolution of locks has had many different styles, types and ways of opening.

“Eventually they went into time locks. They set the timer and no matter who wanted to get into the vault, unless the timer released the pins you couldn’t do anything to get in and that’s what the banks used,” Thorin said.

Guests to the exhibit can also see original display ads that came out of old magazines and information on some of the locks and their creators.

“Some of these locks are from our museum collection and some are from private collections,” Thorin said. “Some of them are new old stock. Some of these locks are from 1910 or 1920, but they’re brand new because they were still brand new in the box. They have the original instructions that tell you how to care for the locks and everything.”

Thorin designed and put the display together.

“It didn’t take us too long once we collected all the locks,” he said. “It will be on display for a few months.”

According to the information provided in the display, North & Stanley was established in 1832 by Seth J. North, Henry Stanley and John Stanley to make hooks and eyes and door locks in the first brick factory erected in New Britain. Corbin has been around since 1852. Russwin was started in 1851.

“In 1902 Corbin and Russwin reorganized and became American Hardware, it was an umbrella company for the two companies,” Thorin said. “They still made Corbin products and Russwin products, but they never made American Hardware products. It was so they could put all their money and advertising in one basket.”

The New Britain Industrial Museum is a division of the New Britain Institute. They are located at 59 W Main St. and can be reached at 860-832-8654 or nbindustrial.org.

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