Dr. Lee Gray
Dr. Lee Gray, professor of Architectural History and senior associate dean of the College of Arts + Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has written more than 200 monthly articles on the history of vertical transportation (VT) for ELEVATOR WORLD since 2003. He is also the author of From Ascending Rooms to Express Elevators: A History of the Passenger Elevator in the 19th Century. He also serves as curator of theelevatormuseum.org, created by Elevator World, Inc.
Elevated Banking in the 1950s
Retractable sidewalk teller systems The 1950s witnessed the development of numerous technological innovations that changed how people interacted with their physical environment. Many of these innovations, such as the operator-less...
The Dahlstrom Metallic Door Co. (1925)
In 1924, the Dahlstrom Metallic Door Co. celebrated the 20th anniversary of the company’s founding. The following year, it published its first catalog devoted to elevator doors. This event highlighted...
The First Ocean Liner Passenger Lift
A popular symbol of modernity and cutting-edge transportation technology The introduction of the electric lift in the late 19th century, coupled with the rapid expansion of the use of electricity...
Conclusion of The American VT Industry in the 1880s
A look at early elevator call systems The emergence of an industry sector that supplied many vertical-transportation (VT) companies with elevator call systems (typically referred to as elevator annunciators in...
The American VT Industry in the 1880s (Part 2)
An in-depth look at a Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturer Part one of this article provided a broad overview of the American vertical-transportation (VT) industry in the mid-1880s. This overview illustrated the...
The American VT Industry in the 1880s (Part 1)
A look at the industry’s presence in an important business directory at the time The typical framework used to assess the historical development of a new industry includes the examination...
1923 William Wadsworth & Sons Estimate & Specification
Comparing this with the Specification and Tender from the last issue The previous issue of ELEVATOR WORLD UK featured an investigation of a 1927 Specification and Tender for an electric...
Haughton Elevators (1923) Conclusion
This series conclusion looks at Haughton’s catalog from 1923. In 1923, the Haughton Elevator & Machine Co. of Toledo, Ohio, published a 32-page illustrated catalog designed to introduce prospective customers...
Haughton Elevators (1923) Part 1
Company catalog describes and illustrates elevator components and more. In 1923, the Haughton Elevator & Machine Co. of Toledo, Ohio, published a 32-page illustrated catalog designed to introduce prospective customers...
1927 Smith, Major and Stevens Specification & Tender (Part 2)
A look at VT business practices in the late 1920s The survival of a 1927 specification and tender for an electric goods lift, prepared by Smith, Major and Stevens, Ltd....
