The Locksmith. Woodcut reproduced from Jost Amman's "Eygentliche Beschreibung aller Stande auff Erden", or "Exact Description of all Ranks on Earth". Frankfurt, 1568. Amman documented contemporary life in the 1500s. His book is known as the St瓣ndebuch (Book of Trades). Locksmiths were integral parts of Medieval society. Though most homes held little more than an internal wooden slide lock on the insides, Locksmiths became important with the developments and security of castles. Their talents were in the beginning stages but an intricate lock that resisted the efforts of picking or tampering was soon highly valued. Criminals and the residents of dungeons often escaped rather easily when not secured with locks or shackles. To maintain security Locksmiths were trained in guilds and the secrets of their craft were kept highly guarded. Locksmiths were considered to possess the knowledge and skills of a specialty organization and as a result earned high wages.