Although the pull handle is missing, the boltwork was operated by a removable "T" handle through the hole at the bottom of the name plate. It embodies the main features of the 1865 Patent No.695. The safe on the right - also pictured elsewhere on the site - is a John Tann List No.3 number 7555 (1880). This particular safe is No.10473 (c.1883) and it is believed to have been in continuous production for nearly 50 years from 1860 to 1920. (machine made).The basic locking mechanism is shown on top. The safe in the centre is a John Tann List 2a, sometimes known as the M.M.
filling all the free space in the chamber with wood (see chamber lying alongside safe extreme left of photograph), and the first powder-proof lock by Hobbs, which, unusually for a safe lock, shoots upwards. It features two of the items referred to in the Quadruple Patent of 1854, i.e. Moving up the century, the safe on the left is an example of one of Milner's first wrought iron safes, a List 2, No.40845 (1854). As the author is the owner of this safe he will be 'more than grateful' if it can be reunited with the lock. The key as shown here was misappropriated from the offices of Rosengrens Tann in Letchworth where the safe had been on display. Close up of the lock shows that in addition to the fine warding the key operates three levers with extremely tight tolerances in the gating. The drop handles have been removed allowing the chest to be stood upright. The lock shown on top is a very basic wheel lock.īelow is the Bankers Chest by Jas.Gray of Edinburgh (c.1830) already featured elsewhere on this site - with the lockcase presented for inspection. On the right is a cast iron chest by the Carron Iron Company. The chest is a Tann List 1 fully lined with fire chambers.īeneath that is a fire-resistant safe with a made-up door and bolts operated by the keylock, possibly made by Tann as the hinge design suggests. Group of three of the oldest safes in the small museum. (Wm.Milner & Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff Patent No.903 - 1865) Otherwise the boltwork is a conventional 3-way system. The back bolts - unseen here - are of a vertical sliding triangular form which slide into vertical "T" slots recesses in the body. is very much a special, possibly meant as a demonstation piece as it conforms to no known specification.
In the original museum all the safes had been fully refurbished and spray painted in a silver hammer finish as illustrated below, but it was my belief that their purpose would be better served in presenting them as nearly as possible in their original livery, warts and all. Even more unfortunately the new management of Tann disposed of the entire collection in 1992.
Unfortunately no photographic record was taken of the enlarged museum which eventually displayed 41 safes by most British makers from the late 1700's to 1938. As the facility grew in popularity it was decided to enlarge and reform it into a customer relations centre combining factory visits, demonstrations, and presentations covering the history and development of safe manufacture over the years. In Tanns, quite a small area was allocated to the museum and it was at that time the accompanying photographs were taken. Not until the company fully merged with John Tann Security later that year was the museum resurrected within the Tann factory at Borehamwood, Herts. The purpose was to enlighten Burglary Insurance Surveyors and Police Crime Prevention Officers on the construction of older safes which in turn would better equip them to make an accurate evaluation of their security potential.ĭon Bûgg was succeeded by Richard Sweetman then subsequently by Mike Palmer until the time Levys closed their City office in 1985. To the best of my knowledge the safe museum was created in the early 1980's in the basement of J.W.Levy & Son in Thavies Inn House, Holborn Circus, by their then Insurance Liasion advisor, D.E.Bûgg.