Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Eight, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1950 to 1952

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Eight, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1950 to 1952

AS THE YEARS roll by, Lockwood continues to witness the truth of the old adage, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” It’s contract sales distribution system, extremely weak in 1940, has blossomed out into a great Lockwood tree from the little acorn planted in 1941. Lockwood’s strategically selected contract accounts are really hitting the ball for Lockwood all across the country. The brand name Lockwood, has constantly increased in acceptance and demand. There is much to take real pride in. The most widely publicized of outstanding buildings equipped with the Lockwood hardware in this period has been, of course, the United Nations group of buildings New York City. It was the highest possible endorsement that the hardware used was Lockwood throughout this most important group of buildings in the world. it was particularly gratifying to receive the commission to equip State Center at Los Angeles, Statler’s most ambitious and costly group of buildings. The greatest lift, from a company standpoint, was that the fine Lockwood hardware used on nine previous Lockwood installations for Statler proved so satisfactory that Lockwood was again selected against the most severe competition.

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Seven, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1946 to 1949

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Seven, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1946 to 1949

IN 1946, with the end of the war, Lockwood activities gradually returned to peace-time production. The huge back log of projected building made it obvious the building industry was entering a period of lush business. With this in mind, Lockwood began to strengthen its fence.

Pin Tumbler Assembly.

Pin Tumbler Assembly.

First it produced an up-to-date catalog presenting a new approach to the listing of builders’ finishing hardware. Next it embarked on a program of advertising in trade and architectural magazines with which hundreds of thousands of readers are now quite familiar. Realizing that because of the pent up demand for new schools and hospitals, as well as for other types of buildings, there would be many places where architects could not secure the advice and assistance of a hardware consultant, Lockwood created another “first” when it published a condensed issue in Sweet’s Architectural File in 1946. This practice has since been repeated in each annual edition of Sweet’s and has been extremely effective in familiarizing architects with the Lockwood line.  Continue reading

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Six, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1941 to 1945

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Six, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1941 to 1945

THIS PERIOD was featured by major changes in sales policy and sales personnel. One weakness in selling policy up to that time had been direct bidding on contract work, which was uneconomical and unsound.

After a long and thoughtful consideration and despite the likelihood of losing business because of inadequate distribution, the company faced the issue and established a definite sales policy of selling its products (except in New York City where, up to the time of printing, it has not yet been fully possible) strictly through franchised distributors. This step is recorded as courageous at that particular time because of the lack of distributors to pick up the business dropped. Business, while better than in the years described in Chapter Five, was certainly not that much better that the move could be well afforded. Continue reading

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Five, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1932 to 1940

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

1932. Present Plant No. 1 in Fitchburg, Mass. Acquired at the time Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company was moved from South Norwalk, Conn.

1932. Present Plant No. 1 in Fitchburg, Mass. Acquired at the time Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company was moved from South Norwalk, Conn.

Chapter Five, Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1932 to 1940

THIS development period, from the time the plant was moved from South Norwalk, Conn., was a critical one in determining the future progress of Lockwood. The next few years were a period of transition. One of the first requisites was a new catalog which was published in 1932. It was soon realized by the new management, however, that if Lockwood was to be a real factor in the industry, a complete overhauling was necessary. A program was started which has continued to this very day and projects itself far into the future. Continue reading

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Four, The Independent Lock Co.

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

1917. Morris Falk and employees in first Independent Lock Company factory at Leominster, Mass. (Morris Falk, top center)

1917. Morris Falk and employees in first Independent Lock Company factory at Leominster, Mass. (Morris Falk, top center)

Chapter Four, The Independent Lock Co.

THE STORY of the Independent Lock Company is, fire and foremost, the story of a man, Morris Falk, to whom this booklet has been dedicated and whose personal story has been briefly described on page 3. Secondly, it is a story of other men he gathered around him who helped him in carrying out the policies he laid down; courtesy, consideration and fair play. Morris Falk’s word has always been better than a bond.

As previously mentioned, the Independent Lock Company was started because women bobbed their hair. In a small building Independent Lock Company began the manufacture of key blanks. That was its first product and it is an indisputable fact that today the Independent Lock Company makes more key blanks than any other company in the world. Continue reading

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A Glance into Yale History

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from The Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company’s Catalog No. 29. We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1939, albeit in a different medium.

Linus Yale, Senior

NEARLY a century ago, in the little village of Newport, N.Y., about twelve miles northeast of Utica, the name Yale was first identified with locks. It was there that Linus Yale, Senior, started as a lock maker and produced the Yale Bank Lock, the first of the long and varied line of locks to bear that famous name.

Linus Yale, Senior, had a natural genius for mechanics which he first devoted to originating improvements in various milling devices. Later he turned to designing and making bank locks which, in those days, were of intricate construction and always operated by keys. He also made a number of locks for use on doors, drawers and other places, all of high mechanical excellence. Continue reading

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Locked Up: The History of Handcuffs

From ancient mythology, to modern public safety tools. Symbols of horrific history, to objects of pleasure. These restraints have been used for centuries!

Today, we will provide the captivating details on one of the worlds oldest wearable locks!

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Security Starts at Home

Break-ins. Burglaries. Home invasions. Squatters.

Long gone are the days of not locking the door when you leave your house for the day. Criminals brazenly enter homes that are not theirs, and violate the one place we should always feel safe in.

The fear of having your home invaded by a stranger has lead to many innovations to make it more secure. But do they work?

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Serial Killer Security Goes D.I.Y.

In the early 60s, Americans were introduced to a new kind of crime threat. With cases beginning in Boston and California, police were investigating murders that had striking similarities. Newspapers and television stations would give nicknames to the killers and run them in the headlines, striking fear into the public about who would be next.

Taking home security more seriously than ever before, people began doing whatever it would take to keep themselves safe at night. This included extra locks on every door. But with demand so high, could people get them installed before it was too late?

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The D. B. Cooper Vane

Wednesday, November 24th, 1971. The man wearing a dark suit, sunglasses, and a parachute stood at the back of the Northwest Orient Airlines plane. Steadying himself, he pulled the lever and lowered the rear airstairs on the Boeing 727. A couple minutes later and he was falling towards the ground.

This hijacking spurred hundreds of theories, and changed the way aircraft were secured for decades after.

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