Let’s set the scene: It’s the early 20th century. You’re strutting into a swanky skyscraper, top hat at a jaunty angle, ready to conquer the world (or at least your 9th-floor office). You don’t just push a button. No, no. You tip your hat to the elevator operator—a real person in a sharp uniform—whose entire job is to make sure you get to your floor without plummeting to your doom. It’s glamorous, it’s personal, and, let’s be honest, it’s a little inefficient.
But then—cue dramatic music—capitalism enters the chat.
The Invention That Started It All
Enter Alexander Miles, who, in 1887, decided that trusting humans to close elevator doors was a terrible business model. He patented an automatic door mechanism, making elevators safer and, more importantly, paving the way for building owners to start dreaming of a world with fewer paychecks to sign.
By 1900, fully automatic elevators existed, but people were about as eager to use them as they were to try the first “fat-free” mayonnaise. No operator? No way! Who would reassure you? Who would press the buttons? Who would pretend not to judge you for going to the gym on the 3rd floor and then taking the elevator back down?
Labor Strikes: The Capitalist’s Wake-Up Call
Fast forward to the 1940s. Elevator operators—tired of low pay, long hours, and probably listening to the same Muzak on repeat—start striking. The 1945 New York City elevator operator strike was the final straw. Suddenly, the city’s towers were paralyzed. People had to walk up the stairs. (Gasp!) Building owners, staring at their profit margins and sweating through their pinstripe suits, realized: “Wait a minute, machines don’t strike!”
By 1950, the first fully automatic elevator was installed in Dallas, Texas. It was like the iPhone launch of its day—except instead of selfies, you got to skip small talk with the elevator guy. By the 1960s, elevator operators were about as common as a free lunch in Manhattan. The job was gone, replaced by a shiny button and a cheery automated voice that never asks for a raise.
What Can History Buffs, Capitalists, and Elevator Enthusiasts Learn?
Historians: This is automation in action, folks! It’s a textbook case of how technology can make entire job categories vanish faster than you can say “cost-cutting measure.”
Capitalists: The elevator saga is a love letter to efficiency. Why pay someone to press a button when you can make your tenants do it for free? That’s synergy!
History Geeks: It’s not just about machines; it’s about trust. People had to learn to let go of the operator’s reassuring presence and put their faith in cold, unfeeling machinery. (Spoiler: they got over it.)
Anyone Who Likes a Good Laugh: Imagine the first guy to step into an operator-less elevator. “You want me to trust this box? Alone? Are you nuts?” And yet, here we are.
The Bottom Line
So next time you step into an elevator, remember: you’re riding the invisible hand of the market all the way to your floor. Thank Alexander Miles for your safe ride, thank the strikers for speeding up progress, and thank capitalism for making sure you have to carry your own groceries up to the 12th floor.
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