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This Is The View From Starve Hollow Road

Jesse Pesta
  • Photography
  • Storytelling

Locksmith preparing to file notches by hand in my new key.

Those Times You Need a Key

November 16, 2014

The doors in the building where I stay while in Delhi use old-fashioned keys that have all but disappeared from our lives, except maybe as a plot twist in Scooby Doo.

So, what happens when such a key is lost and needs to be replaced? What happens is, a locksmith makes a house call and files a new key, by hand, while sitting on your floor, as pictured here.

The locksmith came and filed and filed and filed little notches in the key, then tested the key in the door. Then he filed more, and tested more, and filed and tested and filed and tested, until the key worked properly. 

The bill came to six dollars.

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Welcome! The project you’re visiting, “This Is the View From Starve Hollow Road,” is about photography and storytelling. It’s named for the place where I grew up.

My day job is at The New York Times, where I’m an editor with an emphasis on storytelling and special projects. Before that, I wrote about South Asia and did other things too. If you’d like more details, please visit JessePesta.com.

Everything here is copyright Jesse Pesta, all rights reserved. 

I’m reachable at jesse (at) jessepesta.com. Thank you.

  • 2016
    • Apr 20, 2016 Why the Knitted Brow? Apr 20, 2016
    • Feb 17, 2016 Message In a Bottle Feb 17, 2016
  • 2015
    • Sep 18, 2015 The Toaster Iron Sep 18, 2015
    • Aug 4, 2015 Fresh Adventure! Aug 4, 2015
    • Apr 29, 2015 ‘Waiting For That Cut’ Apr 29, 2015
  • 2014
    • Nov 16, 2014 Those Times You Need a Key Nov 16, 2014
    • Mar 2, 2014 Gunshot Mailbox Mar 2, 2014
    • Jan 1, 2014 Looking Up the Road Jan 1, 2014