The John M. Mossman Lock Collection is housed at the

General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York, was founded on November 17, 1785, by 22 men who gathered in Walter Heyer's public-house at No. 75 King Street (now Pine Street), one block from Wall Street, in Lower Manhatt ...

building, located at 20 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The museum houses one of the largest collections of bank and vault locks in the world, with more than 370 locks, keys and tools dating from 4000 BC to the modern 20th-century. Egyptian wooden-pin locks, Chinese

padlock Padlocks are portable locks with a shackle that may be passed through an opening (such as a chain link, or hasp staple) to prevent use, theft, vandalism or harm. Naming and etymology The term '' padlock'' is from the late fifteenth century. ...

s, American

time lock A time lock (also timelock) is a part of a locking mechanism commonly found in bank vaults and other high-security containers. The time lock is a timer designed to prevent the opening of the safe or vault until it reaches the preset time, eve ...

s, etc., are all displayed in lighted glass cases on the second floor of the General Society. Alongside the cases are studded trunks, with cleverly concealed

keyhole A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, keycard, fingerprint, RFID card, security token or coin), by supplying secret information (such as a number or letter permutation or pas ...

s, once used by bankers. Many of the examples are unique, made-to-order locks that were not produced in commercial quantities and nearly every lock has protected millions in money and securities. To augment the lock collection. Mr. Mossman donated his notes and scrapbooks, known as the "Mossman Papers", which have proven to be a valuable resource for the study of locks. ''The Lure of the Lock'' was published in 1928 and describes each lock in the collection. This publication, as well as a photo CD of the collection, are available from the Society. Collections of various

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ...

curios, rare books, prints, flags, clocks and medals have also been donated by friends and members. Admission is $10 for viewing this museum collection, which is open to the public.

References

* * Hopkins, Albert Allis, (1869–1939). ''The Lure of the Lock; a short treatise on locks to elucidate the John M. Mossman collection of locks in the museum of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in the city of New York, including some of the "Mossman Papers"''. With 500 illustrations. New York, General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen (1928).

External links

Mossman Lock Collection
- The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York {{coord, 40.75525, -73.98136, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title Locksmithing museums Security Banking in the United States Technology museums in New York (state) Museums in Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Museums of economics