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.
The National Elevator Industry, Inc.: 1914-2014
The history of the National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII®) embraces three distinct technological, societal and economic eras: 1914-1933, 1934-1968, and 1969-present. Each era is also associated with a specific organization...
The Evolution Of Elevcon
by Dr. Lee Gray, EW Correspondent The constitution of the International Association of Elevator Engineers (IAEE) includes the following concise statements concerning its purpose and goals: “The rapid growth of...
Innovative Elevator Educational Materials
For more than 100 years, individual elevator manufacturers, industry organizations, labor unions and educational institutions have, at various times and with varying degrees of success, engaged in the development of...
Elevator Car Equipment in the Early 20th Century
Passenger traffic challenges were solved by a unique blend of machine action and mental acuity. One of the most successful elevator-equipment companies of the early 20th century was Elevator Supply...
Hydraulic Elevators in the 1950s
Everything old is new again. The October 1954 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD included an article (reprinted from Power) by Frederick A. “Fred” Annett (1879-1959) titled “Hydraulic Units Stage Comeback in...
Curving and Continuous Elevator Systems
An examination of early 20th-century quests for our industry’s “Holy Grail” Almost every profession has a list of unique and elusive goals that constitute what may be thought of as...
Door Reversal Devices: 1930-1960
Fred Anzley Annett (1879-1959), author of Electric Elevators: Their Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance, provides a critical framework for this introductory history of elevator-door reversal devices. The first edition of...
The Gradatory Elevator, Part Two
An examination of the paternoster elevator’s inception concludes with investigations of Ellis’ patents and lone installation. This article continues the investigation into the first paternoster-type elevator, which was designed in...
The Gradatory Elevator, Part One
New data on an 1866 patent is uncovered to help better investigate questions surrounding the “first” paternoster elevator. The paternoster is one of the most well-known elevator types in the...
12th Annual CTBUH Awards
Chicago’s Illinois Institute of Technology plays host to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s (CTBUH) annual symposium, ceremony and dinner. On November 7, 2013, the Council on Tall...
