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Otis Elevator Company advertisements

Creation: circa 1929
 Collection
Accession: 1993-238

Abstract

The Otis Elevator Company manufactures, installs and maintains elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Elisha Otis (1811-1861) founded the company in 1853 in New York. This collection consists of thirteen tear sheets of advertisements with sketched illustrations for Otis Elevator Company elevators (8) and escalators (5). The escalators are shown in five different styles for department stores installations.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1929

Creator

Extent

13 item(s)

General Physical Description

13 items (advertisements) : some color ; 11 x 8.5 in.

Historical Note

The Otis Elevator Company manufactures, installs and maintains elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Elisha Otis (1811-1861) founded the company in 1853 in New York. The company began to be publicly traded in 1898. The first escalator was shown at the Paris Exposition in 1900. The advancement of gearless traction elevators enabled the construction of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. Otis elevators were installed in the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty among other notable buildings. In 1926, self-service operated elevators were available. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Otis Elevator Company focused on safety and service.

Scope and Content

These are thirteen tear sheets of advertisements with sketched illustrations for Otis Elevator Company elevators (8) and escalators (5). The escalators are shown in five different styles for department stores installations. The elevator advertisements feature the exteriors of buildings for which Otis equipment was purchased. Each item list the architect's name, contractor, and amount and type of Otis equipment in the structure. The buildings are: Atlanta City Hall, Holabird & Root's Chicago Board of Trade Building, Kalamazoo Trust & Savings Bank, Bank of New York and Trust Company, Bank of Manhattan Company, Irving Trust Company, Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) Office Building, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Location

GL Box 1.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Otis Elevator Company advertisements
Date:
2014
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository

Contact:
PO Box 3630
Wilmington Delaware 19807 USA
302-658-2400