The story of the elevator
Today we see the elevator as an accessible staple of buildings, and as more buildings go up, the number of elevators also increases. But as you waited for the sound of the elevator doors to open, ready to transport you safely to your destination, did you ever think about how it happened? Although an elevator ride may be short and sometimes trivial, its story is not. From transporting animals to the battlefield that was the Colosseum in ancient Rome to being the sought-after “flying chair” of King Louis XV, the elevator brought magic to ordinary people hundreds of years ago. So let’s go back to the point where the elevator first took off…. To the best of our knowledge, the first construction of an elevator dates back to 236 B.C., when the Greek mathematician Archimedes used a wooden platform or box pulled by hemp ropes through an open vertical shaft and operated it by men or animals operating a winch. For the next few centuries this technology remained more or less the same.
A transport worthy of a king
However, the use of elevators only for construction or heavy loads soon changed when King Louis XV of France commissioned a “flying chair” for one of his mistresses at the Palace of Versailles. Connecting his rooms to that of his mistress upstairs, the chair was operated by pulling a rope with counterweights connected like a pulley. As a result, this became the first known use of an elevator made specifically for passenger use. In addition, King Louis became an avid fan of this technology, later installing a “flying table.” With the ringing of a bell, a dining table with elaborate meals and all its equipment rose from the kitchen below, allowing private guests to be served their meal without interruption by palace servants.
Safety first
The next major advance in elevators came in 1853, when American inventor Elisha Otis first demonstrated a new safety device. “Elevator brake improvement of lifting equipment,” also known as elevator brake, could be equipped with the elevator to prevent it from falling. Demonstrating this by lifting the elevator car to the top of the building and deliberately cutting the cables, instead of crashing, the car simply stayed in place. This addition is what made the skyscrapers of today’s cities possible. Otis and The Otis Elevator Company quickly began to put the invention into practice, and after installing a steam elevator in the E.W. Department Store. Haughtwhat & Company in Manhattan, the first passenger elevator became operational.