Lifts are one of the safest ways to travel in the world, and credit for one of the biggest reasons for that must be given to one man; Elisha Otis.

Mr Otis invented the “safety elevator” in 1852, which took the concept of the lift and made it far less dangerous. The story of its invention is fascinating, and plans and drawings for the first modern lift can be found in this article by TIME magazine.

However, the most famous story about Otis is what happened in 1853, when he tried to sell the revolutionary invention.

The 1853 World’s Fair

From July 1853 to November 1854, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations ran at New York Crystal Palace, with over a million people visiting over the course of over a year.

There were many interesting exhibits there as well, including a wooden observatory and the world’s first pedal quadracycle in history.

However, Otis would become legendary during this exhibit when showcasing the lift system on a platform. Whilst he made his speech, he asked an axeman to chop the only rope holding the platform he was standing on up.

He obliged, and to the shock of the crowd Otis fell, but only a few inches. Otis’ safety elevator had a safety lock in place that stopped the lift from falling down the lift shaft.

This revolution essentially changed the US skyline; with more people willing to ride lifts, buildings could be built higher, to the point that not even 30 years later the first skyscrapers being seen in major American cities.

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