Artifact of the Week Series: Opening New Doors to Discovery!

We have uncovered many different pieces of rusty metal during our excavation at Turpin’s Island, but none have been more intact and identifiable than the brass doorknob that Brendan Ryan has dug out of test pit #53. It was found amongst many other such artefacts, such as a large rusted door hinge. There are two holes in the knob, one on the side that is visible in the picture, and a larger one at the bass. The material is believed to be brass. It was likely created in a mass produced casting factory, and I could find no discernable marks as to where that may have been.

Brass is an alloy that is made of 55-95% copper and 5-45% zinc. This ratio affects the color the material will look like, as brass made with a larger amount of zinc will be a silvery-white, while brass with more copper will have bronze colouring, and show more oxidization, which is when copper turns from brown to black and green, much like our door knob looks like, so we can assume it is more on the copper end of the alloy. Copper is also highly resistant to rust, which is why very little is present on the knob. As for a potential date for when this doorknob was made, the first doorknob stopper was made in 1878 by Osbourn Dorsey, so if it is a proper doorknob, it would be sometime after that date. However, it may simply be a handle for a cabinet, as bronze was popular as a decorative material throughout the 19th century, it could potentially be dated earlier, as the design has existed since the 19th century.

Sources:

Waite, John G. Gayle, Margot. and Look, David W. 1998. “Copper and Copper Alloys” and “Copper and Copper Alloys; Preservation and Repair” in “Metals in America's Historic Buildings”. DIANE Publishing. 22-35 and 118-128.

2022. The history of doors and doorknobs is an interesting study and I was curious as to exactly when door knobs were invented. Van Dyke’s Restorers. https://www.vandykes.com/blog/hardware-blogs/brief-history-door-knobs/b/brief-history-door-knobs/

Accessed July 5th, 2025.

Author: Sam Gregory