The Evolution of Door Handles

1368 Words3 Pages

When it comes to opening a door there are many ways you can do it. You pull a handle, turn a knob, push it forwards, press a button or simply stand in front of it. It’s strange to think that the door, an object we are all familiar with hasn’t existed forever. The door opening mechanism has been around for amount of time, as the door knob was invented much later than the door itself.
Before the door, there were simply openings. These openings let in everything from one space to another: people, light, sound, air, bugs, etc. While that was fine for a while, the need for some more arose. I believe it arose for a few reasons. Doors provide protection against the outdoors. As homes became more permanent, doors became more necessary. Four walls would protect you from the elements, but without a door, there would be no access to the space. Even before permanent homes, temporary structures (such as teepees) had entrances to the space that could be opened or closed. I also think another huge factor in the development of the door was the need for privacy. As human beings, we are all in need of some sort of privacy. Privacy becomes the most important in our discussion about handles because whether a door is opened or closed signals whether the user of the space wants privacy or not. The ability to pull a door open or closed gives the user an incredible amount of control over their surroundings. Without doors, we are open to the world. Doors and their handles became ways to set ourselves apart in space as well as design. As the complexity of the door progressed, so did the complexity of the handle.
With the first doors, we saw ropes that could pull the door open or closed. That was adequate, but these ropes were not visually appealing no...

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...tional doors, and with the way the economy is headed we may even see resurgence away from automatic doors back to simple, human-operated doors.

Works Cited

Crown City Hardware. “Hardware Descriptions: Design Periods.” Accessed February 18, 2014. http://www.restoration.com/hardwaredesc2.php
Beal,Janet. Catalogs.com. “Who Invented the Doorknob?” Accessed February 18, 2014. http://www.catalogs.com/info/home-decor/who-invented-the-doorknob.html
Made How. “Doorknobs.” Accessed February 18, 2014. http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Doorknob.html
My Eclectic Loft. “Vintage Sewing Machine Drawers and Goodies.” Accessed February 18, 2014. http://myeclecticloft.blogspot.com/2013/07/vintage-sewing-machine- drawers-goodies.html
Preservation Station. Accessed February 18, 2014. http://www.thepreservationstation.com/eight-matching-antique-egg-dart- doorknob-sets-plates.html

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