ornamental cast brass stevens hotel key fob and yale door key designed specifically for holabird and roche's gargantuan stevens hotel, completed in 1927. the emblematic fob with design elements similar to the hotel's door hardware was likely executed by the sargent hardware company, new haven, ct. the double-sided fob contains a nicely aged surface patina consistent with age. the hotel key fob is one of the earliest if not the earliest fob design distributed shortly after the hotel opened. the 29 floor beaux-arts style stevens hotel (chicago hilton & towers) was designed and built by the architectural firm of holabird and roche in 1927. when the stevens hotel first opened, it was considered the largest hotel in the world. the hotel structure is indented by a total of nine courtyards on all sides. the lobby opens to a grand two-story hall by the front entrance, with a grand staircase on each side. the lobby's ceiling holds a 100-foot long mural of a sky and clouds titled "windows to the sky" painted by a. bonanno. one of the landings over the lobby originally held a fountain with bronze statues by frederick hibbard in the likenesses of the sons of hotel founder james w. stevens. the main roof originally featured a continuous 280-foot tile-paved covered promenade inside an open colonnade. the structure still exists, but the central part has been filled in. the hotel's original lunch room was decorated with elaborate japanese wall coverings and ceiling lamps (long since removed). there was a guest library with 20,000 books, bowling alleys, pool rooms, etc. each room contained "circulating ice water" and bed-head reading lamps. there was a private telephone exchange capable of serving 15,000 people, the largest isolated power plant and so on. measures 2 1/2 inches in diameter.