Rockwood / Kingston Psychiatric Hospital / Providence Continuing Care Centre Collection
Category
Security Device
Hospital Administration
Classification
Security Device
Hospital Administration
Accession Number
000003101
Description
Shiny large metal skeleton key, which consists of a single piece of metal with a solid cylindrical central section that has an oval loop handle at one end; the other end of the cylindrical section is flat and round; rectangular-shaped pair of teeth coming off to one side just before the outer end o…
Shiny large metal skeleton key, which consists of a single piece of metal with a solid cylindrical central section that has an oval loop handle at one end; the other end of the cylindrical section is flat and round; rectangular-shaped pair of teeth coming off to one side just before the outer end of the cylindrical piece; the teeth are facing each other and each has one rounded and two straight notches cut out from its inner edge, in mirror image to each other; goes with padlock 000003102.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Owned and used by Rockwood Hospital for the Insane in Kingston, Ontario.
Dates
1870
1900
circa 1870-1900
Material
metal: silver
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-C3-6
Temporary Location
On exhibit “Custodial to Curative Care: Rockwood and the Evolution of Mental Health Treatment” at Museum of Health Care, 30 June 2023.
Dimension Notes
Length 14.6 cm x Width 5.6 cm x Depth 1.5 cm
Condition Remarks
Shows minor wear; no corrosion is visible
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Person
Other
Reference Comments
Connie Cox, retired Kingston Psychiatric Hospital nurse; originally came with a paper label that read, "Original key of // Front Door of Hospital" (not saved)
Research Facts
This padlock was for the front door of Rockwood Hospital for the Insane in Kingston, Ontario.
Exhibit History
On display “History of Psychiatry” at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa L-2018-2; 20 March 2018 – 31 Dec 2019
On display, Providence Continuing Care Centre: "Rockwood Asylum: Refuge and Renewal 1878–1905" from Feb. 13, 2007 - 24 Nov 2016. In case 1 of exhibit "Asylum: The Story of Kingston Psychiatric Hospital," Dec. 5, 2000