Historical
This article was written by Carl Prinzler, one of the creators of the original exit device, at the end of the 1930’s. I think it’s an interesting insight into the development of the first exit device and the code requirements at that time. How It All Began A rambling story of the birth of Von […]
Once again, failure to follow fire safety and egress code requirements in a nightclub has resulted in a fire with multiple fatalities. The death toll from the December 4th fire at the Lame Horse in Perm, Russia currently stands at 112 with more than 100 people severely injured. According to news reports, plastic sheeting decorated […]
The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City on March 25th, 1911, claimed 146 lives – mostly young immigrant women. Building owners locked the exit doors to keep the workers in and the union organizers out, so when a fire broke out on the 8th floor it was impossible for some of […]
Today is the 107th anniversary of a tragedy at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, which shaped the early codes and led to the invention of the panic device. More than 600 people lost their lives in this fire, making it the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in United States history. Article from […]
March 25th, 2011 is the 100th anniversary of the deadliest workplace accident in New York City’s history (with the exception of 9/11) – a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in which 146 people were killed. This tragedy will be the subject of an episode of the PBS series, American Experience, airing tomorrow – February […]
I was recently cleaning out a drawer and found copies of a 3-part article printed in Doors & Hardware in 1986. The articles were written in 1937. I thought I should preserve this piece of our history, so here is the first installment (others to follow). A Memoir from 1880 – How I Discovered Door […]
It’s almost impossible to imagine a fire of this magnitude, which began on November 9th, 1872. More than 770 buildings burned in less than 20 hours, most of them commercial buildings that were previously thought to be fire-proof. Several problems contributed to fighting the fire – the flu that had stricken most of the horses […]
I posted Part 1 of this article a while back, and apparently there have been people waiting patiently for the second installment. As requested, here is Part 2. Part 3 to follow. A Memoir from 1880 – How I Discovered Door Checks by L.C. Norton, Inventor of Door Checks After inventing the door check, I […]
I just returned from our mini-vacation over the holiday weekend, and I found it ironic that both of these news articles appeared in my inbox at the same time: Theater fire 200 years ago claimed 72 lives – Richmond Times-Dispatch – 12/26/2011 “With a single narrow staircase to the box seats and only three exits […]
I previously posted Part 1 and Part 2 of this article, and here is the third and final segment. A Memoir from 1880 – How I Discovered Door Checks by L.C. Norton, Inventor of Door Checks _______________________________________________________ In the August 1986 issue of Doors and Hardware, Norton described his troubles with manufacturing and selling the […]
This pair of doors is the entrance to Fort Independence on Castle Island in Boston, a five-bastioned fort built between 1834 and 1851. These doors look old enough to be original…with a little repair work at some point. If you’re a history buff, here’s a short history and virtual tour of Fort Independence: You need […]
A story arrived in my inbox today, regarding the tradition of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The day before Easter each year, clerics emerge from the small room believed to be the site of Jesus’ tomb with a flame which is then spread among the pilgrims crowding the […]
Head over to the Kingston Lounge to read more about this historic structure and see the beautiful photos of its current sad state of decay. They don’t build them like this any more. You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.
This is why we have codes, and code officials. A fire in an upscale shopping mall in Qatar has killed 19 people, including 13 children and 4 teachers from a child care center within the mall. It is reported that the sprinkler system did not function, at least one staircase collapsed, floor plans were not […]
In addition to beautiful doors and interesting locks, I love old architecture and the amazing photography that captures the decay of these crumbling structures. I look forward to new photo essays posted on the Kingston Lounge site, and the most recent was especially exciting because it’s very close to my town and an important part […]
Since this blog began, it has had visitors from 165 countries. I’ve been contacted by readers from outside of the United States, and have heard first-hand of door and hardware professionals in other countries using the site as a resource. That amazes me. We’re lucky to have the strong codes and enforcement to protect us […]
This week I’ve been spending some time with Karina Guadencio, an Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies specwriter from Brazil. In addition to lots of discussion in the office, we’ve been to a Boston Chapter CSI meeting, had lunch with the master specwriting team at Kalin Associates, conducted a punch list at Harvard Law School, and visited […]
On the right of the photo is the jamb, on the left is the face of the door. Thanks to Ken Burkimsher of Stanley Security Solutions for the photo! UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who left comments…it is a door viewer in an old church door. It’s called a “pulpit viewer” and it allowed the […]
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! All photos published with permission from the photographers. Photo Credit: Sheila de Borja Photo Credit: Pete (peet-astn) Photo Credit: Carol Peacock Photo Credit: Karen Kilgallin Photo Credit: Catherine dée Auvil Photo Credit: Thomas Aleto Photo Credit: Folkardandco Photo Credit: Ian Ransley Photo Credit: Andy [photography] Photo Credit: Kristin (kke227) Photo Credit: […]
I can’t believe it has been 10 years since the morning I woke up, turned on the TV, and saw the aftermath of the deadly fire that killed 100 people and injured 200 others at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The recent news story below shocks me but it also underscores the […]
My husband has grown accustomed to me yelling, “Stop the car!” when I see a door of interest. We actually had to circle the block and come back to this one in Nashville, Tennessee. Judging from the entrance, I thought there might be some nice doors…I couldn’t process what I was seeing in time to […]
Last month I wrote about the first episode of The Station Movie, a video series posted online in segments about the Station Nightclub fire that occurred 10 years ago and took the lives of 100 people and injured more than 200 others. The pain of the survivors is a reminder of why we need to […]
I hope you had a wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day, complete with the green beverage of your choice! The doors of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City are massive and amazing…unfortunately they’ve been temporarily been removed for restoration work, but with a little help from the internet I can still show you these beautiful bronze […]
A few months ago I got the bittersweet news that one of my favorite people in our industry, Bob Harder, was retiring. I’m not afraid to say…I got a little misty. Bob has been a big part of my professional life, and the lives of hundreds of others – both within Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies […]
These photos were sent in by Eyal Bedrik of Entry Systems Ltd., after his recent trip to the US from Israel. The photos were taken at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. The home was built between 1902 and 1905, and is 35,000 square feet with 50 rooms! There is sometimes confusion between […]
Take a close look around the next time you’re in a school building. Notice the fire alarms, extinguishers, rescue windows and frequent drills? They can all be traced back to that fateful day, experts say. “All of that put together has made our school buildings so safe when it comes to fires,” said David G. Hess, Cleveland Hill’s director of facilities. “That fire has really made a difference.”
Bill Elliott sent me these photos this morning. There’s something interesting about this lock that he and I have not seen before. Can you figure it out?
Deb Henson of DH Consulting sent me these photos of some REALLY old panic hardware. These doors were spotted at a home show, and were originally installed on a YMCA in Laurel, Mississippi, built in 1904. Do they look familiar to anyone?
It has been quite a few years since I faced discrimination because of my gender – if any of you have a problem with learning about codes from a woman, you’ve kept it quiet (good idea)…
I’m having a “staycation” this week so I probably won’t add any new (old) locks to my collection, but I saw this AMAZING lock…
This was posted by Lawrence Waters on the Truck Floor Training Facebook page, and it was also sent to me by a door hardware consultant / firefighter friend. Anybody know what it is?
This week marks the anniversary of a tragic fire that heavily impacted life safety codes and requirements for worker safety. It’s important to understand these tragedies, to avoid repeating them.
As the world mourns the fire damage to the Notre Dame Cathedral, it turns out that the doors of Notre Dame are not just ordinary doors; there is a legend that dates back hundreds of years, to the 13th century.
This week marks 12 years since the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech. Considering the lessons learned during that incident, it’s surprising that the use of classroom barricade devices would be considered by state lawmakers.
Twenty years ago, I had no idea how the shooting at Columbine High School would affect our industry and my career. It was impossible to imagine that it was more than an isolated event. But here we are.
