General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

6

Total Parts

6

AKA

skeleton or passkey

Patents

N/A

General Description

all metal construction.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

7.8 cm

Width

2.4 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Industrial Technology

Category

Miscellaneous

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Presumably used c. late 1890s- late 1940s.

Canada

Part of a collection of hand tools belonging to James Anthony (1883-1966), an English born and trained carpenter who came to Canada c. 1910 and worked in and around Ottawa, ON. Following the 1916 fire which destroyed the Parliament buildings and damaged the Library, Mr. Anthony was hired as a foreman with the restoration crews. Until 1920, he was involved in the rebuilding of the Peace Tower and the installation of new windows at the Library of Parliament. He later worked with various builders in the Ottawa area, retiring in the late1940s. After his death in 1966 the tools were given to his son Jack, who in turn donated them to CSTMC. [Ref. 1]

Function

To circumvent the wards in a warded lock.

Technical

One of several keys found in carpenter's tool box. These keys may belong to locks installed or replaced; the simpler, skeleton-like ones may have been kept for use in older-style locks. This style of bow popular in late 1880s- c. 1910. [Ref.3] Warded locks could be opened by any key with a shaft and tooth of similar or smaller dimensions. Skeleton or passkeys can open all or most of these badly-designed locks, which offered minimal security or act mainly as a deterrent. [Ref.4]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

" 3 " stamped in one side of bit.

Missing

None.

Finish

silver metal, possibly plated..

Decoration

N/A