remarkably well-designed and finely cast original 19th century antique american ornamental solid bronze metal doorknob backplate or escutcheon designed and fabricated by the metallic compression casting company and/or the russell & erwin mfg. co., new britain, ct. the intricately detailed oversized backplate retains the original swinging keyhole cover plate. the thimble has the patent date lightly incised along the outer edge. the recessed regions of the backplate show sporadic oxidation. the backplate or escutcheon was often paired with some of the finest figural doorknobs fabricated by mccc/re. dates to the early 1870's. metallic compression manufactured "house trimmings", such as knobs, hinges, escutcheons, bell pulls, along with dies for printing wall paper, and for bookbinders, and a variety of articles. the inventions of charles and michael smith, introduced with complete success into practical operation by the metallic compression casting company at their foundry in bomerville, near boston, revolutionized metallurgic art, so far as casting is concerned. by employing the patented process developed by smith and mason, metal was taken from the mould, not with a rough surface, as in all the heretofore known modes of casting, but as smooth and perfectly finished as a coin or medal struck by a die. the doorknob is part of the len blumin collection purchased outright by urban remains. all of the figural doorknobs were used in blumin's early 1980's book, "victorian decorative art: a photographic study of ornamental design in antique doorknobs." -