The history of door handle is as old as the history of door. The very first thing that is required to open or close a door is the handle. Can any one imagine a door without handles? The earliest records of door are seen in the paintings of the Egyptian tombs, in which they are shown as single or double doors, all made in a single piece of wood. The most ancient doors were made of timber which were made for King Solomon's temple. They were carved and overlaid with gold. There were doors dwelt upon in Homer that appeared to have been cased in silver or brass. Other types of wood like elm, cedar, oak and cypress were also used to make doors. Though, initially, handles were not seen in these doors, they were opened or closes by a sharp force. In some doors, a little carving was there at the handle portion. Slowly, the need to use proper handles rose. Door handles passed many phases of evolution.
Initially they were made of wood and mostly in the shape of a ring or circle. Besides wood, various metals came to be in use. The door handles found in Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilization were crude in design and technology. By the end of the 19th century, there were major developments in door handles. The shapes and sizes changed. Door handles of various eras are today considered fashionable like the Georgian door handle, the Victorian door handle or the Antique door handle. With time, style and functionality changed. In modern times, door handles have attained the perfection both in design and quality.