mystery safe

[RichardHealer]

Hi folks
We were wondering if anyone might know the make of this safe. It says Fire & Thiefproof Safe Maker on the panel.

Also, what does the key look like?

Any other information would be very gratefully received and shared, e.g. date of manufacture etc.

All the best

Richard

[safeman]

From the photographs I'm afraid this will remain a mystery.

Is the safe locked shut or can the inside be photographed. If the escutcheon cover was
drawn aside the shape of the keyway might help although not very likely.

It looks to be from the late 1880's and of resonable quality judging from the escutcheon which is of much better quality than normally seen on such safes, but then this is offset by very cheap looking hinge carriages.

Although unclear from the photograph these hinge carriages are of an unusual shape but I couldn't identify anything anyway similar except on some early S.Withers safes. The only escutcheons of roughly similar design are to be found on some Thos.Perry safes.

[wylk]

I tried to search on the words on the plate (fire thief proof "safe maker") but didn't find too much. There is a similar plate on eBay: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/262581983495



Google Books found what I think is a patent listed in the London Gazette for April 28, 1865 (https://books.google.com/books?id=LU...ker%22&f=false)

1000. To Thomas Skidmore, of Cleveland-place, Tettenhall-road, Wolverhampton, in the county of Stafford, Fire and Thief Proof Safe Maker, for the invention of "improvements in the construction of safes, or receptacles for securing and protecting valuable property.

The use of that exact phrase might suggest Skidmore was the builder?

[safeman]

Well done Wylk.

I had searched my archive looking for similar hinges as I said. I have now had a look for
Skidmore but this is all I could find but the hinges are quite dissimilar.

Not surprising as this is a 4-corner bent body of a much later date.

(This safe has been primed with gelignite in the lock, a detonator in place, and a slab of
putty to hold everything in place. The detonator is electric as seen from the wires but was sometimes a fused detonator which allowed the burglar to light it and retreat to a safe distance. Defusing and removing the charge to enable the safe to be opened was a normal practice in Glasgow in the 1950's)