Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages

Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages by Vincent J.M. Eras remains the most authoritative and engaging history of locks ever published. Originally issued in 1957 by the director of the Lips Safe and Lock Manufacturing Company—one of Europe’s foremost lock producers—this landmark volume traces the evolution of locking mechanisms from ancient wooden devices to the complex time locks of the modern industrial era.

Across 184 pages and 284 black-and-white photographs and technical drawings, Eras presents a sweeping visual and textual survey based largely on the renowned Lips Collection and supplemented by rare examples from private and museum holdings across Europe. Each chapter blends historical narrative with precise mechanical explanation, revealing how artistry, metallurgy, and security advanced together through successive periods—from Roman ingenuity and medieval craftsmanship to Renaissance ornamentation and nineteenth-century industrial precision.

A master locksmith with more than fifty-eight years of professional experience, Eras combines scholarly depth with a craftsman’s insight. His writing captures both the functional evolution and the aesthetic refinement of locks and keys as expressions of human ingenuity.

This high-quality hardcover reprint—produced by special arrangement with ASSA ABLOY—features completely reset typography and digitally corrected images, resulting in sharper photographs and enhanced legibility while faithfully preserving the integrity of the original edition.

Widely praised by professionals and collectors alike, Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages has been described as “a quality book in every way; an impressive work” —Journal of Lock Collecting. It is an indispensable reference for antique-lock collectors, architectural historians, locksmiths, blacksmiths, machinists, and anyone fascinated by the mechanical artistry of security through the centuries.