Little Details

The first time I saw the doorknobs inside our house, I assumed the door hardware (hinges, backplates, and doorknobs) were not original; they looked almost new.  But, after perusing the online interior photos of local homes that have been sold over the past three years, I realized the hardware is original.

The five knuckle,  half-mortise hinges, with cannon ball tip finials, are made by C. Hager and Sons Hinge Company. One interesting piece of trivia is that this company was commissioned to manufacture the hinges for the locks on the Panama Canal Project in the early 1900's.

The lighting in the photographs would lead one to believe these hinges are brass, but, in person, they are much lighter in color and appear to be stainless steel.

While I never imagined liking the ornate style of glass doorknobs, I'm mesmerized by the ones in our home. 

The backplate appears to be nickel and each doorknob functions perfectly.  The backplate style is what I believe called Colonial Revival. The craftsmanship gives me a deep appreciation of the details that went in making each one.  I decided to disassemble one set from a closet door to gain a better understanding of how they were made. From the metal shanks with set screws to the threaded spindles, I admire everything about them.
 

In an attempt to determine the manufacturer of the mortise locks, I removed one from the closet door and removed the cover.  There is not name on the casing and nothing on the inside that provides any hint.  Here are just a few of the lock manufacturers of the time period: Corbin, Yale & Towne, Russel & Erwin, Sargent & Co., and Penn.  I was, also, looking for a skeleton key code, which is, typically embossed on the interior of the lock casing. But, again, nothing...