This is a nice size safe and in solid shape. We desigend this one around a classic style with a subtle wow factor. the top, sides and front have a golden brown panel that is almost black until a light shines on them and then they pop out. The pics are hard to show this, so they look very dark, Inside we finished the safe in a mustard colour with matching suede.
Both locks work and both have 2 sets of keys. This safe has one original set of keys for the door and drawer. Led light automatically comes on when teh door is opened.
History: Whitfield’s Safe and Door Company had a notable presence in both London and Birmingham, tracing its roots back to the early 19th century. The business began with Samuel Whitfield, born in Birmingham around 1810, who initially ran a brass foundry and later expanded into iron safe and metallic bedstead manufacturing. By the 1850s and 1860s, Samuel Whitfield & Sons operated as brass founders and manufacturers of iron safes and bedsteads, with showrooms in both Birmingham (Viaduct Works, Oxford Street) and London (initially 97 Cheapside, later 140 Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square).
In 1861, the census records Samuel Whitfield as a manufacturer of fireproof iron safes and metallic bedsteads, employing dozens of workers. The firm was known for innovations such as Fenby’s adytic retainer lock and, by 1869, for producing fire and burglar proof safes and locks. The business grew significantly, with distinct operations for bedsteads, safes, and brass foundry work.
By 1886, the company was renamed Whitfield’s Safe and Door Company, and it continued to operate from Oxford Street in Birmingham and in London. The company was later acquired by J. T. Needs & Company around 1900, and in 1910, the engineering works moved to Oldbury Place.
The Whitfield family’s business was part of a broader British safe industry that developed in the mid-19th century, with Whitfield’s safes being considered among the notable makers, especially for fireproofing, though not always at the very top tier for burglar resistance. The firm maintained its reputation for quality and was listed in trade directories well into the 20th century
Size: (HxWxD) 560x405x365(+40mm for handle)
Colour: Exterior Ral 9011, bespoke Golden metallic panel, Interior Ral 8001
Weight: 91kg
Design Theme: Simple classic theme
Please note: Safes of this age, approximately 100years old will show signs of their age and build, even after our restoration. We believe each safe has its own character, and thats what makes them special. If you purchase one of our safes, its not a NEW safe, they were built without modern tools, you will see imperfections, ie. the hinges are metal on metal (no bearings) so they may squeak and some may scratch some paintwork at the bottom hinge.
