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.

Review :

"Great history and a good read."

"I am asked many lock questions in the course of a year. The most common one is: 'where can I learn more about locks and keys?'. This book is what I recommend to collectors to go to first. I personally feel all lock and key collectors should have this book. It contains a mixture of European and American locks and keys across time. It includes lock mechanisms too. This is a quality book in every way; an impressive work"

"There are less than a dozen good informative books on locks and keys in the world. Many are long out of print. Luckily this is one of the best and is now back in print after a 45 year absence. If you have an interest in locksmithing, locks and keys or physical security history you should get your copy now.

The images in this new edition have all been digitally enhanced and most have been printed larger than in the original edition making it easier to see details in the images. There was a time when locksmithing was more about the high art of beautiful design and decoration than security. Artisans in Munich and Paris tried to outdo each other to be known as the finest lock makers without advancing the functionality of locks. This remained the same until the late 1700's when it became popular sport for locksmiths to make new designs and challange all commers (crooks and locksmiths alike) to pick their locks. Lock technology leapt forward rapidly until the modern time lock was invented.

Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages follows this history of locks from the simplest wooden devices until modern combination and time locks. Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages includes photos of some of the rarest early locks found in any collection through photos and diagrams of modern vaults. Locks of every kind from every age (up to 1957) are represented. The book includes many diagrams of lock and key types and use. The history of locks and keys is well written in this volume and is the source of many later histories of locks and keys.

The author, Vincent J.M. Eras was a certified Master Locksmith working for the world enowned LIPS lock company (now ASSA ABLOY). He had unequaled access to the Lips lock collection as well as other private and European museum collections to research and illustrate this book.