History
Elevator Entrapments in the United States: 1880-1930
Reports of passengers being caught had become fairly common in VT’s early days. In 1880, a humorous short story titled “The Gay Widow” appeared in numerous American newspapers. The story...
A Special Effects Elevator
Exploring the entertainment side of VT Elevator patents, from the 19th century to the present, typically include an introduction that explains the basis, need and/or rationale for the proposed invention....
Building R. Waygood and Otis Elevator Co. in the U.K.
Ambitious engineer made his mark in the early days of vertical transportation. In 1833, Richard Waygood started his business in Beaminster in Dorset. Feeling that his native town did not...
Hydraulic Elevators in Europe and the U.S.
In this History article, we learn that VT technology was an international story from the very beginning. The history of vertical-transportation (VT) technology has, from the very beginning, been an...
“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...
Historic Chicago Stock Exchange Elevator Enclosures
The history of the organic design behind Louis Sullivan’s works of art from 1894 There are countless reasons to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. With more than 300,000 incredible...
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...
