Selling Lifts in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century

Authors

  • Lee E. Gray University of North Carolina at Charlotte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14234/tsib.v1i1.121

Abstract

Among the most interesting artifacts associated with the history of lifts are manufacturers’ catalogs. The audiences for these documents included architects, building owners, engineers, and other lift manufacturers. Catalogs typically included detailed descriptions of lift types and individual components, which were accompanied by illustrations and accounts of specific installations. The catalogs also often described normative use patterns, which allows a unique glimpse into the world of late 19th and early 20th Century lift operation. Finally, the advertising language used to describe the mechanical virtues of a manufacturer’s lift systems is similar to contemporary catalogs: lifts were described as safe, efficient, and economical. The catalogs examined for this paper include those published by Brady & Thornborough, R. Waygood & Company, Archibald Smith & Stevens, and William Wadsworth & Sons, Ltd.

Author Biography

Lee E. Gray, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Dr. Lee E. Gray is the Senior Associate Dean in the College of Arts + Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Professor of Architectural History in the School of Architecture. He received his Ph.D. in architectural history from Cornell University, his Masters in architectural history from the University of Virginia, and undergraduate degrees in architecture from Iowa State University. He is the author of From Ascending Rooms to Express Elevators: A History of the Passenger Elevator in the 19th Century. Since 2003 he has written monthly articles on the history of vertical transportation for Elevator World magazine.  Current projects include a book on the history of escalators and moving sidewalks.

References

Brady & Thornborough, Manufacturers of Patent Revolving Shutters in Wood, Iron or Steel, Improved Self-Acting Sun Blinds, Hoists and Lifts & Patent Swivel Partitions (1884).

R. Waygood & Co., Hydraulic Passenger Lifts: A Guide to Intending Purchasers (1889).

Archibald Smith & Stevens, Notes on Electric Lifts (3rd edition) (1905).

William Wadsworth and Sons, Wadsworths: Lifts, Transporters, Hoisters (c. 1930).

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Published

2017-01-12

How to Cite

Gray, L. E. (2017). Selling Lifts in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century. Transportation Systems in Buildings, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.14234/tsib.v1i1.121

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2017): Special Issue

Section

Articles

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