Titanic Sea Post Clerk Oscar S. Woody's set of keys

These three keys and 24-inch chain were recovered from the body of American Sea Post Clerk Oscar S. Woody. Woody was one of five postal clerks on board the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic. All of the postal workers perished when the ship sank on April 15, 1912. These keys were returned to Woody’s widow along with his other personal effects.

The Eagle Lock Company of Terryville, Connecticut, manufactured the largest of the three keys. Woody used it to open a mailbag lock, such as those used on registered mail sacks. One side of the key is stamped "US Mail 19"; on the obverse is "Sea Post 101". It is believed that the number 101 referred to ships of the White Star Line. The small, two-barrel key with a round head was likely intended for lever locks installed on furniture in the mail room, such as a desk drawer.

Reference:
Posted Aboard Titanic: Remembering Titanic's Postal Workers. Freehold, N.J.: Titanic International, Inc., 1993.

Merideth, Lee William. 1912 Facts About Titanic. Mason City, Iowa : Savas Publishing Co., 1999.

Museum ID: 2007.2012.1