Location and Building
– The John M. Mossman Lock Collection is housed at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York building.
– The building is located at 20 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.
– The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
– The museum is situated on the second floor of the General Society building.
– The museum is open to the public for a fee of $10.
Collection Highlights
– The museum has one of the largest collections of bank and vault locks in the world.
– The collection includes over 370 locks, keys, and tools.
– The locks date from 4000 BC to the modern 20th-century.
– Examples of locks from various cultures such as Egyptian wooden-pin locks and Chinese padlocks are displayed.
– Many of the locks are unique and were custom-made, providing protection for millions in money and securities.
Additional Donations
– Mr. Mossman donated his notes and scrapbooks known as the Mossman Papers.
– The Mossman Papers are a valuable resource for lock studies.
– The publication ‘The Lure of the Lock’ was written in 1928 and describes each lock in the collection.
– The Society offers the publication and a photo CD of the collection for sale.
– Friends and members have donated collections of antebellum curios, rare books, prints, flags, clocks, and medals.
References
– Lily Kopell’s article in The New York Times highlights the history of laborers who built New York City.
– Albert Allis Hopkins authored ‘The Lure of the Lock,’ a treatise on locks and the Mossman collection.
– Hopkins’ book contains 500 illustrations and was published in 1928.
External Links
– Wikimedia Commons has media related to the John M. Mossman Lock Collection.
– Tiffany & Co.
– Bernard B. Jacobs
– St. James
– John J. HarveySources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Mossman_Lock_Museum
