History
1973
ELEVATOR WORLD celebrates its 20th year. It is interesting to note that ELEVATOR WORLD founder William C. Sturgeon did not acknowledge or celebrate the fact that the magazine had entered...
Preserving the Past, Elevating the Future
One man’s labor of love has grown into a full-fledged museum dedicated to the industry’s history. For Steve Comley, The Elevator Museum Inc. is a way of giving back to...
The History of Operatorless Elevators: Push Button Control 1886 -1895
Period established a critical baseline for all future work. The story of the invention of the operatorless elevator encompasses the history of several discrete vertical-transportation (VT) systems. The first to...
1963: Elevator World Begins Its Second Decade
Sturgeon gives “full time” to EW and builds on initiatives introduced during the first 10 years. 1963 opened with ELEVATOR WORLD founder William C. Sturgeon celebrating the magazine’s first 10...
ELEVATOR WORLD in the U.K.
A look at William C. Sturgeon’s visit to London in September 1964. On 28 August 1964, ELEVATOR WORLD founder William C. Sturgeon departed Mobile, Alabama, on a five-week vertical-transportation (VT)...
What’s Past Is Prologue
The challenges of predicting the future Famous quotations from William Shakespeare include a well-known line from Act II of “The Tempest,” in which Antonio tells his brother Sebastian: “What’s past...
Elevator World Is Born: 1953
A look at ELEVATOR WORLD’s inaugural year In celebration of ELEVATOR WORLD’s 70th year of publication, throughout 2023, the monthly vertical transportation (VT) history articles will include a dedicated series,...
The Birth of the Modern Escalator
This History article looks at the lead up to June 1919 and the fervor surrounding the escalator’s introduction. The end of the first era of escalator development was marked by...
The Salem Elevator Works (Part Two)
Conclusion looks at the success, expansion and transformation of Charles F. Curwen’s company. Part one (The Salem Elevator Works (Part One)) of this two-part article traced the story of Salem...
The Salem Elevator Works (Part One)
A glimpse into a unique aspect of VT history The history of the vertical-transportation (VT) industry in the U.S. includes numerous regional companies that provided machines that met the needs...
