The National Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (MNACTEC) and the imprint Rafael Dalmau Editor publish the book Lock and Key, by Jaume de Bargas. The work covers the history of the lock and key, from the earliest days right down to the present, as well as technical aspects of the associated trades.
Numerous professional pursuits have to do with keeping valuables secure: from locksmithing and metalworking, down to smelting, tin-smithing, restoration, policing and all manner of industries. Lock and Key thus highlights the role played by artisans and industrial workers around the world who have spent their professional lives helping to make life more secure.
Locks and keys are useful, everyday devices which have nonetheless not previously been the focus of academic study in this country, despite the depth and scope of research they have attracted and continue to attract in Central European lands. And in fact locking and opening mechanisms mark the starting point of numerous industrial processes.
Jaume de Bargas' book is the product of 60 years working as a professional in the world of security, combined with his persistence in researching and showcasing the evolution of locks and keys, objects which are furthermore laden with symbolism.
Lock and Key is the eighth title published in the "Industrial Heritage Topics" collection, directed and coordinated by the MNACTEC and published by the imprint Rafael Dalmau, Editor.
10 May 2023
