About this time, Enos Wilder filed a patentinfringement suit against Charles Gaylor (presumably an alternative spelling ofGayler) and another againstCrandall Rich, Almon Roff, John Stearns, and Azor Marvin. In the second ofthese actions, 'After a protracted lawsuit, a compromise was effectedby which both parties continued to manufacture.' (One Hundred Years'Progress of the United States, 1870, p. 397) In 1847, J. E. Wilder exhibiteda Salamander safe at the fifth MCMA exhibition. Also, in 1847 Adams &Hammond, the owner of theWilder patent (and itself an exhibitor of iron fire-proof safes in 1844 and 1847at the fourth and fifth MCMA exhibitions in Boston, MA.) sued Edwards & Holman for producing safes from 1843 to 1847 that infringed thatpatent. (Levi Woodbury, 'Charge in the Case of Adams& Hammond vs. Edwards & Holman,' Writings of Levi Woodbury,1852, Vol. 2, p. 286.)
In 1850, Salamander safes were exhibited by at the sixth MCMA exhibition bythree parties, John E. Wilder, William Adams, and Denio, Cheney & Co, all ofBoston, MA.
Silas C. Herring exhibited fire-proof safesat the Crystal Palace in London, England, in 1851 and won an award. 'Wemust not omit to mention here the interest universally created by the salamandersafes deposited by Silas C. Herring of New York. The metal of the safe consistsof the stoutest and toughest wrought bar and plate iron, the space between theinner and outer surfaces being filled with a composition, of which plaster ofParis is the principal ingredient. Several attempts have been made here toburn this safe, but after laying in the fire for forty hours, red-hot,the contents came out uninjured.' (Scientific American, Aug. 16,1851, p. 378) Chubb & Son also exhibited fire-proof safes at the CrystalPalace in 1851. Ca. 1853, Silas C. Herring & Co. advertised single door safesranging from $40 (for a 12' x 8' x 9' model) to $200 (32' x27' x 15') and folding door safes ranging from $175 (22' x32' x 16') to $625 (64' x 51' x 19').
Left: Silas C. Herring, c. 1851
Right: Chubb and Son exhibited London 1851, Paris 1855


Competing safe makers tried many alternative insulating materials, 'but none provedas effectual as hydrated plaster of Paris, which, under the influence of intenseheat, gave up its water of combination, and forming an atmosphere of steam inthe inner portion of the safe, protected the books or papers fromdestruction. It was found, however, that the plaster after a time gave upa part of its water of combination, and not only made the interior of the safesmouldy and damp, but rusted the plates of iron till they were eatenthrough.' In 1852, Spear discovered an alternative to plaster ofParis that did not cause dampness, and in 1854 Herring began to use Spear's invention. 'B.G. Wilder had meantime commenced the manufacture ofsafes under his patent; and the successors of Messrs. Roberts & Rich, underseveral firm names, as Rich & Roff, Roff & Stearns, and Stearns &Marvin, also manufactured the Wilder safe.' (One Hundred Years' Progress,p. 397) In 1867, Herring claimed that since 1841 it had manufacturedmore than 30,000 safes. (Fighting Fire, p. 14) Also in 1867,Herring, Farrel & Sherman, New York, won a bronze medal for fire andburglar-poof safes. (Reports of the Commissions to the Paris UniversalExposition 1867, Vol. I, Washington, DC, 1870, p. 302)

Serial Numbers Nero

Between1840 and 1860, numerous companies in New York Cityand Boston manufactured fire-proof Salamander safes using the Wilder patent. Safes made by a number of thesemanufacturers have metal plaques with wording such as 'Wilder's Patent Salamander Safe1842,' 'Wilder's Improved PatentFire-Proof Salamander Safe,' or 'Improved Patent Salamander Safe. C. Rich. N. York.1842.' Shortly before April 1844, a cartoon showed a man with provisions inside aSalamander safe labeled 'Patent Fire ProofChest.'
Left: C. Rich & Co. Salamander Safe Plaque. Courtesy of Doug Hamann.

Pin key, lock, and name plate from S.C. Herring Wilder PatentSalamander Safe
Photographs courtesy of Tom Gazda

There was a substantial amount of litigation relating to the Wilderpatent from soon after it was awarded until at least 1869. Based on the dates ofpublished references to Salamander safes, it appears that these safes were mostpopular during the 1840s and 1850s. However, the Wilder Salamander Safe Co. wasdoing business in New York City in 1870, and we have seen a few references toSalamander safes that were published in the early 1870s.
USPatent No. 12,594, which covers another method of insulating safes, wasawarded to Richard Holmes and William H. Butler on Mar. 27, 1855. This patentclaimed 'a new and useful improvement in alum fillings of safes, combiningwith the alum filling an alkali, in such proportions that the alum, in becomingheated or melted has a part of its acid neutralized by the action of thealkali.' Also, 'the said filling is interspersed with andsupported or restrained from settling down by cells of porous material'(formed by filling the walls with pieces of bricks along with a mixture of clay,alum, and an alkali. A fire-proof safe made by Holmes, Valentine &Butler, New York, NY, which incorporates this technology, is illustrated tothe right. (Scientific American, Nov. 17, 1855) A second safe basedon this patent is pictured below.
This safe labeled 'Marvin & Co. Valentine &Butler. Alum Patent. Mar. 27, 1855'
Photographs courtesy of Tom Gazda

Offices may have been more concerned about protecting theirbooks and papers from fire than burglars, but there was demand for burglar-proofsafes. In England, Chubb patented a burglar proof safe in 1833. In the mid-19thcentury in the U.S., 'Lillie's safes were highly commended for thispurpose, he using thick slabs of chilled cast iron, and flowing cast iron overwrought iron ribs in their construction. It was found after a time, however,that the burglars succeeded in drilling these sufficiently to blow them up in afew minutes. Messrs. Herring & Co. a few years since [that is, a few yearsbefore 1870] adopted the plan of making their burglar-proof safes externally ofboiler-plate wrought iron, with an inner safe of hardened steel, and then filledthe space between with a casting of Franklinite, the hardest of all knownmetallic ores, which in casting was incorporated with rods of soft steel, thoseon one side running vertically, and those on the other horizontally. Thesecastings resist the best drills for many hours. This has, in connexionwith the burglar-proof locks, proved the most complete protection againstburglars yet invented.' (One Hundred Years' Progress of the UnitedStates, 1870, p. 397)
Late 19th Century Safes

Morse Safe, Boston, MA, 1872


Three photos of a safe made by the Barnes Safe & LockCo., Pittsburgh, PA, 1871.
Photo on the left shows the closed safe; photo in the middle shows the safewith the outer doors open; photo on the right shows the safe with the innerdoors open as well.
See below for an 1871 advertisement by the Barnes Safe & Lock Co.

From Left:
1. Burglars attempting to open a Herringsafe, 1867
2. Herring, Farrel & Sherman safe opened in 29 minutes with burglars'tools, published 1868
3. Discovery of a frozen rooster in a Barnes safe after theGreat Chicago Fire, 1871
4. Demons with powder and nitro-glycerin attempting to opena Butler patent safe, Diebold Safe & Lock Co.
5. Transporting a safe, Hall's Safe & Lock Co., Cincinnati,OH, 1872
6. Trade Card, Kerr's Cotton Thread, Kerr & Co., New York,NY.


Herring & Co. safes, Boston, MA, and NY, NY,established 1841, 1875 advertisement.

For information on safes displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, click here andthen scroll down.
Whitfield's Light Fire-resisting Safe, 1880
This appears to be an economy (light weight, low cost) safe.

Milner Safe Serial Numbers Lookup

Early 20th Century Safes


Safes made by the Victor Safe & Lock Co., Cincinnati, OH,c. 1904.
The first four images are of one safe. The next image shows a larger safeof a similar style. The last two images show a third safe.

'Fire-Proof' Safe, Cary Safe Co., Buffalo, NY


Ely-Norris Patented Manard Manganese Steel Bank Safe enclosedin York Safe & Lock Co. Spherical Fire-Proof Safe, 1918 York catalog, York,PA.

Cabinet safes were designed to hold modularfiling cabinets

Milner Safe Serial Numbers List


Globe Cabinet Safe, closed and open views, Globe-Wernicke,1911.


Cabinet Safe, The Macy Co., 1917
Cabinet safes similar to those above were advertised at least as late as 1928.