-Union Bank- safe still bank c. 1904

Curator: Before us, we have an intriguing object. This is the "Union Bank" safe still bank, dating back to around 1904, produced by the Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Company. It resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: Immediately, it evokes a feeling of quaintness and stability, wouldn't you say? Its small scale and the decorative floral elements framing the dial create an oddly comforting juxtaposition against the coldness implied by its metallic composition and lock mechanism. Curator: Absolutely. The juxtaposition you noted plays a pivotal role here. Notice how the structural design is inherently cubic, enforcing ideas of solidity and permanence—traits one would naturally associate with the very idea of a bank itself. This object effectively communicates an ideal. Editor: From a material perspective, I’m most fascinated by how the mass production of such miniature yet functional objects transformed notions of craft. What was once the exclusive domain of skilled metalworkers and locksmiths has been commodified, mass-produced, and marketed towards the masses. Curator: The intricate designs—floral motifs intertwined with the very rigid form—almost serve to humanize what is otherwise an inanimate metal object. And let's consider the choice of typeface—it projects both trustworthiness and affability through carefully curated semiotic properties. Editor: Precisely. And that very human element renders it more appealing—more marketable. We’re not just safeguarding pennies; it becomes something personal. The weathering and possible oxidization also suggests more complex questions about object preservation. Curator: Agreed. Consider, also, that through its deliberate design, this small safe bank, more than just storing coins, effectively promotes a very particular ideology related to financial security and trust. Editor: Indeed. In an age of increasingly abstract financial systems, objects like this "Union Bank" safe bring tangible form and material understanding to what would otherwise remain invisible and intangible financial networks. Curator: This has certainly encouraged an unusual analysis, seeing how we may both reconcile such approaches through single consideration. Editor: It's fascinating how, through considering materials and design choices, we uncover an entirely more substantial economic system encoded here, in miniature, for all audiences to understand.