One casting of the same average thickness. Were cast in one piece, about half an inch in thickness, with doors formed in The Carron Company in Scotland, and the Coalbrookdale in England, had introducedĬast-iron chests and book safes with single and double doors. Wrought-iron chests were used in the store-rooms of country mansions about theīeginning of the present century. Thickness of about 2 inches, and is thought to be about 1,000 years old. It is 9 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet high, with a A specimen of the old wooden chest is preserved in the Cathedral ofĬhichester. Turning to the early history of safes, 'The first types of English safes were strong wooden boxes, bound with iron Right: Hall's Fire and Burglar Proof Safe, Hall Safe & Lock Sizes, safes were the most expensive itemĬontaining ledgers, M Briggs & Son, Rochester, NY, 1882 adĬenter Left: Large double door safe, American Steam Safe Co., New York, NYĬenter Right: Burglar Proof Safe, American Steam Safe In the 19th century, at around $150 to $225 for typical Typically, interior wooden partitions in office safes were designed to hold ledgersĪnd other papers. Ads do not say anything about protection against tornadoes.

After that, safes were routinely used in offices to protect againstīoth fire and burglars.

Introduced beginning around 1820, but safes that successfully protected theirĬontents against major building fires were not marketed until the earlyġ840s. Safes designed to protect their contents against fire were 'iron chests' as they were often called, were designed to protect against burglars, but they did not offer substantial protectionĪgainst fire. This exhibit deals primarily with 19th century safes and covers early 20th Safes are among the most common items seen in photographs of late 19th century and early 20th century offices. Safe with Andrews Patent Combination Lock, American Bank Lock Co.,

Victor safe combinations