In 1866, he relocated to Hannover, and found employment in the workshops of Carl Dopmeyer [de], where he was allowed to create his first independent works.
In 1884, his statue of Daedalus, holding Icarus in his arms, received a gold medal at an exhibition in Brussels.
Some of his larger works were done in collaboration with Emil Hundrieser [de]; notably a figure of Berolina, created for a state visit by King Umberto I of Italy.
His most familiar work is "Ich habe keine Zeit müde zu sein [de]" (I have no time to be tired, 1891), which depicts Kaiser Wilhelm I, in his armchair, with the Angel of Death by his side.
After Lock's death, a full-sized marble copy was created by Franz Tübbecke (1856–1937) and displayed at the Hohenzollern Museum in Monbijou Palace.