Escape Artist in Silent movie

Here's one for you. I got this still photo from the silent film "CIRCUS DAY" I'm still trying to track down the actual film. All I can find is that it was from 1919 (another source says 1923 ??) No idea who the Escape Artist was, but behind the three people is a banner showing the Water Torture Cell, a lady in a glass box filled with water, and the triple stock cabinet. (to the cowboy's left). The cowboy is holding Cummings, a set of the wrist cap cuffs, a set of Darbys, and a pair of what looks like Towers. The boy on the right is examining Darbys, Pinkertons, Cummings, and what looks like (under a magnifying glass) a cuff with a Plug 8 lock, but a Marlin swivel linkage!! On the display board are Mattatucks, Adams, Delestasius, Beans, Palmers, ER leg irns, Lily leg irons, ER lock, Bean Cobbs, A Nipper that is hard to ID because of the way it's attached to the board, Romer leg irons, Darby and Tower leg irons, and two chains with large padlocks. Hopefully I will be able to track down a copy of the film. Imagine how cool it would be if all those cuffs were in a prop warehouse somewhere!

Thanks for the interesting series of posts. You have several interesting Tower cuffs especially the one with the button stop. It looks like that cuffs has several patent dates so maybe you can date them. I know of only one attempt that Tower used to prevent the bows from closing. This method looks better than the sharp piece of metal on a pivot on the outer side of the bows.

Ron

Here's one for you. I got this still photo from the silent film "CIRCUS DAY" I'm still trying to track down the actual film. All I can find is that it was from 1919 (another source says 1923 ??) No idea who the Escape Artist was, but behind the three people is a banner showing the Water Torture Cell, a lady in a glass box filled with water, and the triple stock cabinet. (to the cowboy's left). The cowboy is holding Cummings, a set of the wrist cap cuffs, a set of Darbys, and a pair of what looks like Towers. The boy on the right is examining Darbys, Pinkertons, Cummings, and what looks like (under a magnifying glass) a cuff with a Plug 8 lock, but a Marlin swivel linkage!! On the display board are Mattatucks, Adams, Delestasius, Beans, Palmers, ER leg irns, Lily leg irons, ER lock, Bean Cobbs, A Nipper that is hard to ID because of the way it's attached to the board, Romer leg irons, Darby and Tower leg irons, and two chains with large padlocks. Hopefully I will be able to track down a copy of the film. Imagine how cool it would be if all those cuffs were in a prop warehouse somewhere!

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Hey Ron, I have a pair of the patented stop, with a long chain. (See below) These button ones have patent dates from '71 to '82. I truly believe these are factory made because of the plating. There's absolutely no evidence that they were ever taken apart. The patented Stops shown below are not leg irons, but standard size handcuffs.

Here's one for you. I got this still photo from the silent film "CIRCUS DAY" I'm still trying to track down the actual film. All I can find is that it was from 1919 (another source says 1923 ??) No idea who the Escape Artist was, but behind the three people is a banner showing the Water Torture Cell, a lady in a glass box filled with water, and the triple stock cabinet. (to the cowboy's left). The cowboy is holding Cummings, a set of the wrist cap cuffs, a set of Darbys, and a pair of what looks like Towers. The boy on the right is examining Darbys, Pinkertons, Cummings, and what looks like (under a magnifying glass) a cuff with a Plug 8 lock, but a Marlin swivel linkage!! On the display board are Mattatucks, Adams, Delestasius, Beans, Palmers, ER leg irns, Lily leg irons, ER lock, Bean Cobbs, A Nipper that is hard to ID because of the way it's attached to the board, Romer leg irons, Darby and Tower leg irons, and two chains with large padlocks. Hopefully I will be able to track down a copy of the film. Imagine how cool it would be if all those cuffs were in a prop warehouse somewhere!

Click to expand...

I see

Adams or Phelps
Rankin - the round ones.
ER Leg irons and Padlock
Palmer
Lily Leg irons
Romer Leg irons
Bean
English Leg Irons
Tower
Mattatuck
Cap Wrist Locks

I see a young, soon to be, collector checking out the patent dates!

That's great.

Here's one for you. I got this still photo from the silent film "CIRCUS DAY" I'm still trying to track down the actual film. All I can find is that it was from 1919 (another source says 1923 ??) No idea who the Escape Artist was, but behind the three people is a banner showing the Water Torture Cell, a lady in a glass box filled with water, and the triple stock cabinet. (to the cowboy's left). The cowboy is holding Cummings, a set of the wrist cap cuffs, a set of Darbys, and a pair of what looks like Towers. The boy on the right is examining Darbys, Pinkertons, Cummings, and what looks like (under a magnifying glass) a cuff with a Plug 8 lock, but a Marlin swivel linkage!! On the display board are Mattatucks, Adams, Delestasius, Beans, Palmers, ER leg irns, Lily leg irons, ER lock, Bean Cobbs, A Nipper that is hard to ID because of the way it's attached to the board, Romer leg irons, Darby and Tower leg irons, and two chains with large padlocks. Hopefully I will be able to track down a copy of the film. Imagine how cool it would be if all those cuffs were in a prop warehouse somewhere!

Click to expand...

I wish the quality was better on the original photo so we could see what the boy on the right has. But with a magnifying glass I can see the unmistakable Marlin swivel on a Plug lock cuff. What could that be???

Here's one for you. I got this still photo from the silent film "CIRCUS DAY" I'm still trying to track down the actual film. All I can find is that it was from 1919 (another source says 1923 ??) No idea who the Escape Artist was, but behind the three people is a banner showing the Water Torture Cell, a lady in a glass box filled with water, and the triple stock cabinet. (to the cowboy's left). The cowboy is holding Cummings, a set of the wrist cap cuffs, a set of Darbys, and a pair of what looks like Towers. The boy on the right is examining Darbys, Pinkertons, Cummings, and what looks like (under a magnifying glass) a cuff with a Plug 8 lock, but a Marlin swivel linkage!! On the display board are Mattatucks, Adams, Delestasius, Beans, Palmers, ER leg irns, Lily leg irons, ER lock, Bean Cobbs, A Nipper that is hard to ID because of the way it's attached to the board, Romer leg irons, Darby and Tower leg irons, and two chains with large padlocks. Hopefully I will be able to track down a copy of the film. Imagine how cool it would be if all those cuffs were in a prop warehouse somewhere!

Click to expand...

Wow. That's interesting. Thanks for posting this.