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.

Safety Appliances for Lifts: 1895(Part 3)

This conclusion to the three-part series examines the audience’s commentary on Umney’s paper on lift safeties. On 10 June 1895, Herbert W. Umney (1870-1958) presented an illustrated paper on lift...

Fred A. Annett’s Electric Elevators (1927): Part 1

A critical turning point in American VT technical literature In September 1927, the Journal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers published a brief review of a recently published book...

ELEVATOR WORLD’s Golden Anniversary

The publication’s 50th year is marked by reorganization and expansion. ELEVATOR WORLD’s Golden Anniversary was celebrated over a two-year period. 2002 was technically EW’s 50th year of publication, and each...

The Origin of the Safety Plank

Cyrus W. Baldwin was the first to introduce the VT community — at home and abroad — to this concept. The successful debut of Elisha Otis’ improved safety device in...

Safety Appliances for Lifts: 1895 (Part 2)

A look at the contents of Umney’s paper on lift safeties On 10 June 1895, Herbert W. Umney (1870-1958) presented an illustrated paper on lift safeties to the Society of...

The History of Operatorless Elevators: Traffic Control Systems (Part Two)

by Dr. Lee Gray, EW Correspondent  The design team that introduced one of the first automatic elevator traffic control systems included Otis engineers David L. Lindquist, Edward L. Dunn and...

Elevator World: 1993

A look at EW’s 40th year ELEVATOR WORLD began its 40th year with founder William C. Sturgeon recalling the magazine’s beginning: “In early 1953 everything depended upon the response from...

Safety Appliances for Lifts: 1895 (Part 1)

A look at the critical background and context of Umney’s paper On 10 June 1895, Herbert W. Umney (1870-1958) presented an illustrated paper on lift safeties to the Society of...

The History of Operatorless Elevators: Traffic Control Systems (Part One)

The role of elevator operators decreases as systems become increasingly automated. The first phase in the development of the operatorless elevator began in the last decade of the 19th century...

ELEVATOR WORLD in 1983

Magazine becomes increasingly international, adds events calendar and covers computers.   While ELEVATOR WORLD’s editorial mission, first defined by founder William C. Sturgeon in 1953, remained essentially unchanged as the...

TEI AWARDED CONTRACT FOR ELEVATORS AT BROOKLYN AMBULATORY HUB

TEI Awarded Contract for Elevators at Brooklyn Ambulatory Hub

Sara Marta, a refugee from Luanda, Angola, was hired in 2023 as an electromechanical assembler; image courtesy of Otis.

Otis Brazil Joins UN-Affiliated Companies With Refugees Forum

MEI-Total Elevator Solutions’ Mankato, Minnesota, manufacturing facility; image courtesy of MEI-Total Elevator Solutions

MEI-Total Elevator Solutions Investigating Fire at Minnesota HQ

Aull

Wittur Names Aull New CEO

(l-r) Legends Tower and the Boardwalk at Bricktown, designed by AO; image via the Robb Report

Developer of 1,907-Ft-Tall Oklahoma City Tower Says He’s Secured Financing