It was simple at first. A few raps with your knuckles on a door and someone let you into their home. When that wasn't loud enough because houses became larger (and the world was getting louder both inside and out), the doorknocker was invented. As simple as an iron ring or as elaborate as a work of art, the doorknocker worked for centuries.
Today vintage knockers are available from some antiques sources and include those with images of owls, trees, stars or suns. Reproductions of doorknockers and early door bells have almost the same charm of those early products, and some are also equipped with modern features, including video cameras.
The first doorbells were mechanical. They made a sound when someone pulled a cord or turned a little handle that caused a hammer to strike a bell located inside of a house. Also, a doorbell which worked using piped compressed air was invented by a Scotsman in 1814. Most historians credit American Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, for inventing the electrical doorbell in about 1831. His invention was basically a bell that could be rung at a distance with a wire.
Until the 1930s, most doorbells were the bell or buzzer type, hardly pleasant sounding, according to Robert Dobrin, owner of ElectraChime Doorbells (he dubs himself Chief Ding-Dong Officer) in California and the curator of The Doorbell Museum.
"The 1930s introduced door chimes and now the familiar "ding-dong" call. One manufacturer marketed door chimes as the answer to "doorbell nerves," the jarring effect of noisy bells," said Dobrin, who said long bell door chimes are his favorites. "Many chimes from the 1930s to the early 1960s were especially handsome. Most of all, an honest door chime requires the striking of real metal bells or xylophone -like tone bars. No electronic sounds for me."
When door chimes replaced bells and buzzers, many middleclass and upper-class homeowners "proudly displayed their good taste and status, often in a dedicated door chime niche," said Dobrin. Elaborate high-end models were more than five feet tall and played Westminster Quarters, like Big Ben, he added.
"Door chimes very much reflected their times in styles, from Art Deco to Mid-Century Modern as tastes evolved," said Dobrin. "In the 1950s and 1960s, builders could scarcely keep up with the babyboom's extraordinary demand for mass housing. Built-in appliances enabled builders to maximize floor space and achieve the clean lines the consumer demanded. Door chimes became a purely functional item to be heard and not seen. Simple white-box door chimes blended into the walls and are still the norm today."
Many door chime niches in houses built in these decades have been covered with drywall or the space now contains shelving for plants, books or knickknacks. Some younger homeowners have no idea why these wall recesses were originally built.
But niches aren't really needed to hang tubular chimes, including the handcrafted ones Dobrin has made since 2004. At the time, he couldn't find any on the market of the quality he wanted to buy. Dobrin's chimes are available in several styles and finishes to match any decor.
"Today's internet connected pushbuttons, like the Ring doorbell, enable you to see who is at your door. Fortunately, this new technology is compatible with most vintage and mechanical door chimes," said Dobrin, adding that "a video connected doorbell with a mechanical door chime blends technology with tradition."
f vintage or reproduction long bell door chimes aren't your thing, you can buy a white Everyday Lighted Door Chime Button from Walmart for $1.96 or an expensive high tech wireless doorbell that operates alone or with a whole house smart system. The discreet Vivint Doorbell Camera provides smart motion detection that lets you know if someone approaches. The visitor doesn't have to ring the bell. A homeowner can unlock a door, talk to the person, and turn on lights from a single app with the Vivint Smart Home platform. The Vivint Playback upgrade provides 24/7 recording.
SkyBell HD is a wi-fi video doorbell. When someone presses the doorbell, a live feed alert is sent to your smartphone. With an app for selected iOS and Android devices, you can see, hear and speak to a visitor no matter where you are. Multiple people can receive alerts when someone comes to the door.
The above information is sourced from the following webste
https://www.cleveland.com/homeideas/2017/08/doorbells_have_evolved_from_a.html#:~:text=Most%20historians%20credit%20American%20Joseph,chime%20is%20from%20the%201930s.
Recently I was looking at a geocaching bloggers page. He was creating some gadget caches and explaining how to build them. I have attempted to replicate this field puzzle here.
THE PUZZLE
Once you have found the coordinates for this cache it will take you to your first container. In this container, you will find an item that will help you to find the cache. The cache is within a 75m radius. You may also need a TOTT to put your name in the logbook which is approximately 4m high.
We hope thiese young men will help you to find the location of the cache. Good luck!
