World's Columbian Took a Giant step Toward the 20th Century via Elevators

Elevators were still a novelty in 1893, but they were rapidly moving toward becoming common everwhere in the years following the world's fair.

Otis Brothers led the way and from the millions of words I've read about the WCE, I think my choice for an elevator ride would be to the top of one of several buildings that offered the ride to the top floor and/or roofs of great buildings to view the expansive world's fair.

Elevator rides courtesy of Hale, Otis or the Vertical Transit Company were popular attractions but there were so many hundreds of other attractions that elevators weren't in the headlines. But without knowing it, the riders taking elevators for the unusual experience were helping to usher in another technological era of which elevators were a part. It's hard to believe that elevators were viewed like carnival rides in the 1890s--especially while you have to elbow your way through thousands of other workers in the 60-stsory tower where you work!

While this is just a single sheet advertising handout, one of literally thousands of such pieces given out to fairgoers, but it's highly collectible and a part of a new era of marketing introduced in 1893 Chicago. A great and interesting piece, and like others in this sale, very inexpensive. I wish I had 4 or 5 of every promotional piece for sale here.