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 Vertical Transport of Goods”
Examination of a 1932 brochure by U.K. manufacturer Marryat & Scott reveals an early VT industry encounter with modern architecture. In 1932, the firm of Marryat & Scott, Ltd. published...
1950s Innovations in Elevator Cab Design
This History article examines cabin-access innovations that arose from the development of operator-less elevators in the early 1950s. The founding of Elevator World, Inc. in 1953 coincided with the introduction...
Chicago Elevator First
This History article examines the city’s important role in 19th-century elevator progression. Chicago played a critical role in the development of the modern passenger elevator during the 19th century. Aspects...
John H. Jallings (1847-1935)
The first attempt to tell a more complete story of the life and career of the VT industry’s early chronicler John H. Jallings is a well-known figure in American vertical-transportation...
Miller’s Patent Screw Hoisting Machine
Examining the companies and enigmas surrounding William Miller and the inventor’s wild marketing claims The November 16, 1867, issue of Scientific American included an illustrated article titled “Improvement in Hoisting...
A 50 – 50 Proposition
CTBUH 10th World Congress celebrates organization’s first half- century with a look ahead. Photos courtesy of CTBUH In November 2019, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) held...
Elevator Accidents 1870-1920: Causes
The second of two articles examining elevator safety in the U.S. from 1870 to 1920 While the first article in this series (ELEVATOR WORLD, February 2019) focused on reporting and...
Elevator Accidents 1870-1920 Statistics
The first of this two-part History series examines early elevator datasets. This is the first of two articles that will examine elevator safety in the U.S. between 1870 and 1920....
2018 CTBUH International Conference
Dubai and Abu Dhabi host well-attended event on “Polycentric Cities: The Future of Vertical Urbanism” with strong VT industry support. The 2018 International Conference of the Council on Tall Buildings...
The Invalid Lift, Part Two
The conclusion of a series on early elevators for handicapped persons begins with the early 20th century. The invalid lift, a hand-powered elevator system introduced in the mid 1800s, was...
