No photograph is shown for this exhibition. The museum displays an image only where it can show the object honestly.
About this date
Elisha Otis demonstrated his safety brake at the New York Crystal Palace exhibition in 1854. Hoists existed long before; Otis’s contribution was the safety device.
About credit
Lifts had been used since antiquity. Otis made them safe enough for passengers.
Chapter II
The world before
Life before the Safety Elevator
Hoists were dangerous, and tall buildings were limited to the number of stairs people would climb.
II
The human achievement
How it came about
At the 1854 exhibition, Otis stood on a platform raised high above the crowd and had the rope cut. The safety catches held. The first passenger elevator was installed in a New York department store in 1857.
III
Understanding the invention
How it works
The Safety Elevator, explained in two steps.
01
Step 01 of 02
A fail-safe spring
Tension in the rope holds the catches in. If it snaps, springs push them outward into notches in the guide rails.
A fail-safe spring
Counterweights
IV
The transformation
What changed for humanity
Cities
Buildings grew taller; upper floors became prime rather than cheap space.
Work and living
Skyscrapers concentrated offices and later apartments.
People were willing to ride tall buildings’ lifts, making skyscrapers practical.
V
Before and after
Life before and after The Safety Elevator
Before
Climb the stairs.
After
Take the lift in under a minute.
On larger screens, drag the divider (or use the arrow keys) to give more room to the world before or after.
VI
Its legacy
What came after
MHI 065
The Safety Elevator
Beyond the collection
Skyscrapers
With steel frames, they rose above 100 storeys by the 20th century.
Beyond the collection
Accessibility
Lifts make buildings usable by everyone.
VII
Human stories
The people and the moments
“All safe, gentlemen”
According to accounts, Otis shouted “All safe, gentlemen, all safe” after the rope was cut at the Crystal Palace demonstration.
Where accounts differ, this museum follows the documented record and says so.
