Share your favorites on Show & Tell

old key for room 730, HOTEL KAISERHOF, CHICAGO

In Tools and Hardware > Keys > Show & Tell.
Roycroftbook…'s loves1662 of 6722Mixed , Shaking and Rollold little oddly 'round' shaped flashlight
16
Love it
0
Like it

MilitaristMilitarist loves this.
RadegunderRadegunder loves this.
oldpeepoldpeep loves this.
blunderbuss2blunderbuss2 loves this.
bucketheadbuckethead loves this.
TheGateKeeperTheGateKeeper loves this.
ttomtuckerttomtucker loves this.
Vynil33rpmVynil33rpm loves this.
MrstyndallMrstyndall loves this.
ManikinManikin loves this.
fortapachefortapache loves this.
rickzog4rickzog4 loves this.
yougottahavestuffyougottahavestuff loves this.
Horseradishman1Horseradishman1 loves this.
officialfuelofficialfuel loves this.
See 14 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 6 years ago

    AnythingOb…
    (1778 items)

    I've had this for ~40yrs probably, having found it at some or other sale somewhere (best as I can remember anyway) when I was a teenager. I thought it was pretty cool then (it must have also been way-cheap or otherwise buried in a boxful of other junk, if I could afford it?) and I still do. :-) (plus, I've always liked old locks and keys anyway, but that's just an accidental fact...)

    What I no doubt didn't know about it then, but which a quick Google search now reveals, is that HOTEL KAISERHOF apparently existed as such from roughly 1889-1915 (as an 8-story hotel building) on Clark St. in Chicago, when an 18 story addition was built adjacent to the original structure and the whole thing changed names to THE ATLANTIC HOTEL shortly thereafter. The building(s) apparently continued to survive until 1971.

    https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage099/

    The key itself is a little over 3" long, on a couple inches worth of chain/links to its cast metal fob roughly 2" across. The fob itself is rather heavy for its size (>1/8" thick) and kinda seems to be made of copper (or a similarly colored metal alloy) with an outer silver-ish plating which is now a little more 'worn off' than it was when I first got it -- that's no doubt my fault as I actually *did* use it as my own keychain for awhile back then. [again...I thought it was way-cool, even without having a clue how old it really was, thus how I shoulda probably been *much* more careful with it...? <groan>]

    logo
    Keys
    See all
    10 Keys Vintage Antique Skeleton Keys Set for Furniture Cabinet Door Drawer Keys
    10 Keys Vintage Antique Skeleton Ke...
    $27
    Vintage Unique Solid Bronze Door Knocker Keyhole Shape & Skeleton Key NO Reserve
    Vintage Unique Solid Bronze Door Kn...
    $53
    Antique Corbin Mortise Lock Skeleton Key #S8 Antique Door Key
    Antique Corbin Mortise Lock Skeleto...
    $15
    3 rare 14th/15th century large Gothic wrought iron door lock keys
    3 rare 14th/15th century large Goth...
    $64
    logo
    10 Keys Vintage Antique Skeleton Keys Set for Furniture Cabinet Door Drawer Keys
    10 Keys Vintage Antique Skeleton Ke...
    $27
    See all

    Comments

    1. yougottahavestuff yougottahavestuff, 6 years ago
      World War One against Germany may have led to the name change.
      the symbol on the back looks similar to the German logo of that time.
    2. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 6 years ago
      WOW -- THANKS SO MUCH Y'ALL for the response to my old hotel key?!!

      To: Militarist, officialfuel, Horseradishman1, yougottahavestuff, rickzog4, fortapache, Manikin, Mrstyndall, Brunstick, vynil33rpm,ttomtucker, and TheGateKeeper -- I appreciate y'all taking a moment to hit the <love it> button!! And yougottahavestuff -- I'd bet that's a pretty good guess too...thanks for leaving your comment! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
    3. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 6 years ago
      More THANKS to buckethead, bb2, oldpeep & Roycroftbooksfromme1 for stopping by! (and my apologies for the typo, Brunswick!)
    4. Elisabethan Elisabethan, 5 years ago
      Fun and cool! You need to find a permanent cool place where you use it. Maybe you already have? When I saw the photo I looked at the numberplate (don't know if it is the right word in english) and saw the cirkulaar pattern that frame it and recogniced it from victorian brooches. I see when I read your text that it was pritty right. :)

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.