Today's special key comes to us from the city of Danville Kentucky. With a beautiful bow, (the end of the handle) this key stood out to me by looks alone. This key came to us in a protective case that pales in comparison to the key inside it. The bit (the part that goes in the lock) of this key is a symmetrical shape that reminds me of a space invader.
There is not attached any information about who brought this key to us, but judging by the design I would guess that it came from a government official who worked for the city of Danville. This type of key is symbolic, and is given out in recognition in service to a city, much like the "key to the city" trope used in superhero comics.
The most impressive part of this key is, by far, the ornate design of the bow. Encircled by an imprinted wreath lies the seal of the city of Danville. This seal contains, in clockwise order, the scale of justice, the staff of Hermes or the caduceus, a lit oil lamp, a homestead, two opposing scrolls, and in the center is a star. Each one of these symbols is meant to represent a historic "first" attributed to the city of Danville. The scale is to represent the first court house in Kentucky established in 1785 while Kentucky was still a territory and not yet a state. The Staff of Hermes represents the first laparotomy, an operation performed by a physician from Danville, Dr. Ephraim McDowell. While these symbols have be easy to determine, the rest of them are far more vague. I'm assuming that the oil lamp is meant to represent the first post office west of the Allegheny mountains. The homestead could be associated with the first capital of Kentucky being located in Danville. The twin scrolls could be because the first constitution of Kentucky was written and signed in Danville. As far the star, any guess is a good as mine. I believe that it is included in the seal simple for design purposes and holds not exterior symbolism at all.
All the little things about this key is why I love our museum so much. The amount of information contained within the small package of a key can be so enlightening, whether this is in the design of the key or within the teeth themselves. There is a code behind each key, no matter how big or small, and so far I have thoroughly enjoyed cracking these codes.
Written by Adam Dohn
Museum Curator
