While crude door handles date back to ancient times, the first documentation of a functioning doorknob as we know it (billed as a "door-holding device") was a patent filed by Osbourn Dorsey in 1878.

A staple of design in the Victorian era, brass had its last heyday as a modern design trend in the 1980s. It adorned everything from light fixtures and doorknobs to faucets and cabinet hardware.

Pair of Plain Brass Door Knobs with Rosettes. ... I especially like the Olympus set for an Art Deco or Victorian home. ... Signature Hardware Hubbard Brass Doorknob. $89 $89 Photo: Retailer.