Antique and rare Bronze Mechanical Door Bell - working great - France Circa 1870.

Antique and rare Bronze Mechanical Door Bell - working great - France Circa 1870.

Size: 14 cm L x 9 cm W x 7 cm H

Mechanical doorbells were made using a small bell installed inside the house, manually activated when a visitor pulled a chain or string to ring the bell. This bell is the same design as the “servants’ bells” in period films from the late 1800s. In this setup, a bell rings in the maid’s quarters when someone, far away, in one of the rooms of the main home, pulls a chain to summon them.

Another early Victorian-era doorbell design used a twist handle—like turning a key. When the visitor turned the handle, a tiny hammer or clapper struck a bell inside the door, producing a rapid trill or ringing sound. These relatively crude mechanical bells were loaded with charm, and sometimes, “ye olde” doorbells featured ornate outdoor buttons, pulls, or levers. Retail stores and small shops often used door-mounted mechanical bells to announce when a customer entered a shop. A version of these is still in use today.