> Perhaps a more elegant solution is to use those antique vertical handles which are "thumb latch" door pulls.

I know what you're talking about; we have one on our front door. Ours isn't made out of polished brass, though. It looks more like wrought iron or something like that. It may have looked nicer when it was new, though. The house is over sixty years old and I think it still has the original door and handle.

Gri"doens't know what it's called either"shny