Keys Without Teeth

Good Evening Everybody! This is Colton hopping on to highlight a triplet of keys that caught my eye while combing our ceiling collection. So I decided to use them for the first of a weekly series in which I take down some of our more humble keys and put them on the stage of the internet for all to see. Without further ado I'll get into the keys of interest tonight!

Each of these keys has a unifying theme which directed my choosing them tonight. The first one which dictated this choice was a Digital Equipment key used to turn a computer mainframe on & off. The following pictures depict this key and reveal my choice of theme, namely that these keys don't have any teeth! This key in particular has a hexagonal shaped neck rounding down into its flattened end. This makes it little more than a fancy Allen wrench and considering its purpose shows the utilitarian design of the key.

The second key for today's highlight pictured below is a most peculiar one made from a dark metal with a diamond head. It's neck is completely rectangular, making for a sleek flattened profile. On its tag it is listed as a paupers casket key from the Boyertown Casket Company in PA. Carved into the diamond is a B with a four pointed star crossing it. Similarly to the above key it wouldn't take much to open the intended lock without it, but as a ceremonial key it serves its purpose with style. From the moment I saw this key and input it into our collection I knew I would be showcasing it at some point, and I'm happy it happened so soon.

The final key seen below is an Ilco Marlock that was used for room 228 at the Little America lodge in WY. Donated as a replacement for a forgotten house key it is an interesting example of key innovation. The three black stripes on it cover up a specific combination of holes which are maintained in a central computer database. When the key is used in a door a sensor passes Infrared light through it and if it detects a valid combination opens the door.

Well, that's all for tonight folks. I'll catch y'all next week same time for the next part of this weekly series, and maybe we'll see a more in depth post on a more famous key or two in between.

Have a good night,

Colton