Who knew wrought iron was soooo beautiful?

So this is going to be a picture heavy post! Deal!! LOL

On one of our trips to Rouen, we went to the wrought iron museum. It holds pieces from the 3rd through 19th centuries, which means from the year 200 through 1899. It boggles the mind. The phrase, "They don't make 'em like that anymore" kept running through my mind. And you'll see why!



A gorgeous lock and its key...





I can't believe how intricate the keys were!



Church Keys.... but these won't open any bottles!

I thought these keys were especially intricate.

I wonder if I could get onto the airplane with either of these? Somehow, I'm thinking I could... but definitely NO KNITTING!!!

Why doesn't Schlaag or Kwikset make deadbolts like these?

This is an offering box from the St. Claude Abbey.

I want door handles like this in MY house!!!

A sign that hung outside a locksmith's place of business.

My idea of a bed!! I Told Duane I want one just like it. He laughed at me.

3 keys together for person who is always losing their keys

No way you could press these keys in some supertack and copy them!

When two keys are just too jangly! Have the locksmith combine them with a filigree slidy thing that acts as the leverage thing... (where is the diagram that shows the names of the parts of a key?! I don't remember ever learning them, but obviously, there should be one!!!)

I thought this was really pretty. LOVE the dogs! What are those, greyhounds?

The best translation for "cabinet au chiffre" I can come up with is upright cabinet, which would be an armoire or closet. That Marie-Antoinnette.... always stingy with her stuff. Locks up her clothes and won't share her meat... No wonder she lost her head!

This is an embroidery scissor collection to kill for!!! Man, some of these were SOOOOO tiny. There are even some that are still made today, check out the stork scissors!

These are either castles or cathedrals... Which ever, they are amazing!

For the tatter in your life... a shuttle!!!  It looks big here, but was probably no bigger than "modern day" tatting shuttles.

Duane sitting in a chair he probably shouldn't be. But, I checked and that's not what the sign says, so... Oh, and check out the soup ladles over his shoulder! Those would definitely get to the bottom of the pot.

 LOVE these knives! Do Swiss Army knives have anything on these? I don't think so. Gerber and Leatherman can't even touch the one above!

No trip to the barber would be complete without getting your hair "waved" or "crimped." A friend of mine's mother was a hairdresser back in the day and used something like these. Apparently, where ever she lived, they were behind the times and didn't have electricity yet. Crazy.

Man, I could've used these last night when we went to see "Lord of the Dance"!!!! Much more classy than modern binoculars.

One last shot of a GORGEOUS key!!!

I must tell you that I could've spent a lot more time in this museum, and didn't take half of the pictures I wanted to, as my phone was dying. Yes, all of these shots were taken with a phone's camera!!!!

So, what do you think? Do "locksmiths" have it easy in this day and age?