Once upon a time, neighbors would call a "hello" through
the screen or tap lightly on the door before popping in to pay a
friendly visit. Life was simpler then, and except for occasional
animal attacks or marauding enemies, those of us not living on the
stagecoach route didn’t need to think much about locking up and
providing advance warning systems - doorbells.
In the middle ages even simple folk in cities began to utilize
knockers as a means of announcement and by the 1700s simplistic
turn bells began appearing on doors from the cottage to the capital.
The Victorian era brought a classic brass pull doorbell, while the
twentieth century introduced the buzzer, the speaker and musical
chimes. Suddenly, the welcome was extended even before the door
was opened.
To herald in the New Year we offer you a selection of doorbells
to compliment your personal style and sensibility. Availability
is varied, from antique shops to home improvement centers and international
on-line sites, but with a little effort your family can have the
pleasure of finding a way to announce guests that is as special
and individual as your home.
Turn bells can still be found on many older doors. These simple
and practical bells are usually made of cast brass but much older
ones can also be found in iron. The unit consists of a decorative
exterior door plate approximately 2 inches by 3 inches in size,
a simple domed half bell with small interior clapper for installation
on the inside of the door and a flat clockwork type key that connects
the two through the door. Power is provided by the thumb and forefinger
of the visitor. The sound is clear and similar to the music of an
ice-cream truck, soft and friendly. If your grandmother or neighbor
doesn't want to part with their turn bell, the units can often be
found in better antique shops and sell for more than fifty dollars.
A bell on a bar that jingles when the door is opened remains a
visual icon of the American frontier and the venerable general store.
Across the pond, the English created the Victorian servants' bell,
the genteel cousin of the American jingler. While most of these
Victorian gems are handed down through families, Antique Doorbells.COM
has developed a worldwide trade in the restored antiques. Made of
solid cast brass, these bells are available in the traditional mechanical
mode or in updated electrical models. Selling for more than $150,
the mechanical version contains a built-in return spring to maintain
cable tension. They are beautiful architectural objects, their sound
is elegant - if a bit sharp - and allows you to fantasize that the
parlor maid or butler has been summoned to serve. A nice treat.
Simple buzzers with workings consisting of a single length of coiled
wire which produces a self-interrupting circuit and "buzz",
can still be had for under $30 but are generally used in commercial
and rental locations. Chimes, at their most simple using two tone
bars, sound on pressing, first when a piston is pushed and the second
on the release. Made popular in the 1950s, these units are often
replaced with electronic doorbells. In electronic bells, electromagnets
and tone bars are replaced by integrated circuits that are triggered
when the button is pushed, playing a digitally recorded sound. Wireless
versions are commonly sold in the $30 range.
There are doorbells for the deaf that flash an interior light to
gain attention and an assortment of new and reproduction bells and
clappers in brass and copper to simulate the call to school or church.
However, the most
intriguing system we found was the programmable musical doorbell
from Musical Doorbell.com
At a discreet seven and a half inches
high and five and a half inches wide the Musical Door Bell is a
marvel in a plastic wood-grained box. Operating on a 9-volt battery
or 16-volt alternating current, the Musical Doorbell provides 4
sound levels and comes pre-programmed with 48 memorable songs from
Battle Hymn of the Republic to Give My Regards to Broadway.
The homeowner can also enjoy the option of choosing different songs
to signal the front and back door. But there's more. Remove the
attractive cover and discover the integrated keyboard that allows
you to program-in your own compositions - the ultimate in personalization
- all at an affordable $49.95.
Whether rushing to greet awaited guests,
welcoming unexpected visitors or locking-out the enemy, getting
the announcement that someone is at the door has never been so easy,
so stylish - or so much fun.
