When someone approaches equipment installed by a company such as Elevator Technologies Inc, they have certain expectations about how the cab will look. That’s true no matter what type of building it’s in. The cab will be very large and will be rather plain in appearance. Passenger elevators used to be quite different when they were first developed, especially in certain settings. They typically were much larger, for instance, and might even have contained furniture on which passengers could sit.
Elaborate and Elegant Decor
Passenger elevators originally moved much more slowly than they do now. Because of this, higher-end hotels and other businesses catering to wealthier customers decorated their elevators elaborately with chairs and even chandeliers. The size and decor conveyed the illusion of riding on a passenger train or, perhaps, a coach, only moving vertically instead of horizontally.
The First U.S. Hotel Passenger Elevator
The first U.S. hotel to have an elevator for its guests was the Fifth Avenue Hotel in Manhattan, constructed in 1859. The lift was a steam-powered, slow-moving contraption with a revolving screw in the middle of the cab, but it worked. Unfortunately, the business closed after less than 50 years and the building was torn down, so nobody can view the old equipment in person today.
The Significance of the Passenger Elevator
The invention of the modern passenger elevator allowed for the construction of much taller buildings in the mid-to-late 1800s since people wouldn’t have to climb numerous flights of stairs to reach upper stories. The skyscraper was a direct result of that equipment, which today is installed and serviced by companies like Elevator Technologies Inc. Anyone interested in this particular company’s services may visit the website for information.
Today’s World
People generally don’t want to waste time on luxury elevator rides anymore. They want to enter an elevator and quickly reach their destination. Being able to stand or sit still and ride from one floor to another is no longer a novelty. But, some individuals still enjoy hearing about times past and how revolutionary the idea of a steam-powered or electric passenger elevator was.