Yesterday I received my photocopied reprint of the 1890 Norwalk catalogue compliments of the Antique Doorknob Collectors of America. On page 197, I came across our bronze lock plate! And, thus was able to confirm that the aged number 6843 on the back was read correctly, and was in fact the style number for that item. What’s interesting was this particular design was found across a wide range of items, from knobs to doorbells, drawer pulls, etc.; anything that was bronze – or iron – hardware.
renaissancerva.co 
I am a graduate student in the historic preservation program at the University of Pennsylvania, and am researching the knobs and escutcheons found in the oldest quarantine station in North America and manufactured by the Norwalk Lock Co. with a patent date of 1863. My research needs to be completed by the beginning of May, and the next antique Doorknob Collectors of America catalog shipment falls too close to the deadline for any match I make to a catalog model to be included in the packet of research to be presented to the township that owns and is taking pains to restore the site. Is there any chance that I could borrow your catalog? I have had a difficult time finding any of the handful of libraries worldwide who archive a copy of the catalog and are willing to allow outside research or to permit reproduction of the document. Please feel free to contact me at sarah.r.moses@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Hi Sarah!
Thanks for finding my site and I’m so impressed with your graduate endeavors. I remember how excited I was to discover that there was a Norwalk hardware catalogue in existence and so I’d be happy to let you borrow my copy. When I received mine, I made an additional copy to deposit in the special collections archives at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Cabell Library, so there would be one there safely kept for future researchers just in case something ever happened to mine. I will email you directly to coordinate. Best wishes in your research!
Jessica