CALTABIANO, Frank (Designer)
Key to the City, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
gold-plated metal alloy, card, paper, ribbon
along barrel: CITY OF DETROIT
on case: presented to: / Right Honorable Lord Mayor of Melbourne / Councillor F.W. Thomas / July 28, 1958 / Signed by the Lord Mayor of Detroit.
on accompanying card: Key to the City of Detroit / Presented on behalf of the Mayor of Detroit / U.S.A. by Sheldon Levine and Thomas Hill / two of the junior Diplomats visiting / Melbourne. / Presented to Councillor Nathan for / presentation to the Lord Mayor on / 16th August, 1958.
City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection
Frank Caltabiano, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., Councillor F.W.Thomas, 1958, diplomatic relations,
Summary
In March 2020 a member of the public, Jason Caltabiano, informed the City Collection that this key to the City of Detroit was designed in 1952 by his grandfather, Frank Caltabiano, who had died in 2014. Jason also sent in the below article about his grandfather’s original design.
“From our City-County Bureau
The key that fits the lock to Detroit’s goodwill was designed by a DPW draughtsman who was unaware his work would be treasured by world dignitaries when he graduated from art school 10 years ago.
Frank Caltabiano was surprised when Mayor Cobo gave him the job of designing a key to the city.
“The mayor was pretty angry when he called me into his office,” Caltabiano said. “He told me he heard some jokes had been made about the key we were using then and wanted me to design a new one that the city could be proud of.
“I’d never done anything like that before, but I was sure I could improve on the old plywood one that was being used.”
Caltabiano said it took him three days to complete a design the mayor approved.
The key now in use is six inches long with a block “D” at one end and the “City of Detroit” printed on its stem. It is made of a gold-plated metal alloy.
Since 1952 when the new key was put into use, 350 have been given to famous visitors to the city.
The old key was made by city carpenters. The new key is made by a New York jeweller.”
