Impregnable Padlock
Record status
Individual type · partial
This object is an "Impregnable" padlock, designed and manufactured by the firm Ingersoll Locks Ltd. The lock features a rounded, cylindrical body fitted with a thick, arched shackle. Its physical construction comprises a laminated steel body that is copper brazed and finished in nickel chrome, creating a smooth metallic surface. The locking component consists of a hardened steel shackle that has undergone chrome plating.
On the front face of the cylindrical body, an applied rectangular white label displays printed black text. The overall design emphasizes functional simplicity and industrial utility, characterized by clean lines, circular geometry, and a uniform grey metallic finish across both the body and the shackle. The padlock is catalogued under museum accession number CIRC.260-1971 within the categories of metalwork and product design.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Ingersoll Locks Limited (later Ingersoll Security) was founded in Forsyth Road, Sheerwater, Woking, on 3 March 1940. It was established as the lock manufacturing division of The Ingersoll Watch Co., an enterprise incorporated by brothers Robert and Charles Ingersoll in 1892 that had traded for nearly fifty years. The Impregnable padlock was named a Winner of the Design Centre Award in 1971.
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Impregnable padlocks
- Museum object number
- CIRC.260-1971
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.