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HYDROFIT™ Owner’s Information Manual
WARNING: The use and ownership of this work is defined in the legend upon the front page hereof.
Chapter 1: About Otis Elevator
Otis Elevator Company has a long and interesting history that began in the mid-
nineteenth century with its founder, Elisha Graves Otis.
In 1852, while employed by the Yonkers Bedstead Manufacturing Company in
Yonkers, New York, Otis built a hoisting machine with a safety mechanism that
prevented the platform from falling if the hoisting rope broke. The following year, he
opened his own shop in Yonkers, called Union Elevator Works.
It was at the 1854 New York World’s Fair—also known as the Exhibition of the
Industry of All Nations—that Otis introduced his first safety hoist to the public. His
demonstration of riding up and down on the platform and cutting the hoisting rope
without plummeting to the ground attracted huge crowds. The event became
famous and the safety hoist’s debut was a resounding success.
1854: Safety Hoist Elevator at the Crystal Palace, New York World’s Fair
Elevators during the 1850s were used to
hoist freight, and Otis and his sons sold
their product on the existing market as a
hoist. He also realized the safety
mechanism made it possible to safely
carry passengers, thus potentially opening
up a whole new market.
1854: E.G. Otis Calling Card
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