Riding the Last Human-Operated Elevator in Chicago
Going up?
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Transcript
Going up?
Without elevators, the worldâs major cities would look very different. We wouldnât have any skyscrapersâor at least, it would be a lot harder to get to the top floor.
As technology has advanced, most elevators have changed significantly since their invention in 1857.
Well, except for this one.
Jacob Harvey: So we believe that these elevators are original to the building from 1898.
Jacob: Obviously, there are certain things that have changed in terms of, you know, there arenât ashtrays in the elevator anymore. But they are still human operated. Today, most elevators are electrically propelled. All you have to do is push a button, and the machine does its work. Thatâs not the case for elevators from the 1890s. Jacob: The biggest difference between a mechanical elevator and a human-operated elevator is just that. Itâs the human. There are no buttons, and the elevator does not move independently without the operator or the driver.
Jacob: Whatâs really kind of remarkable about it is the human-to-human interaction that comes with that. And the elevator operators are very much part of the fabric and the community of a building like the Fine Arts Building, because they have personal relationships with all of us. But the aging mechanics behind these antiques have put these relationships in jeopardy. In 2023 the Fine Arts Building announced plans to switch to mechanical elevators. Jacob: A lot of that has to do with just being able to keep up with the technology, and they donât make the parts for them anymore. And, actually, the last person who services the elevators in the city of Chicago is retiring. So all of these things have kind of come to a head and have kind of forced us to modernize the elevators. Before we say goodbye, letâs take one last ride. Jacob: There is something really special about that, you know. For all of its ups and downs and whatnot, you canât be in a rush to go anywhere in the Fine Arts Building, thatâs for sure. But thereâs something magical that comes along with that. And as Iâm sitting next to the elevator and like hearing it move around, youâre reminded of sort of the musicality of that, too, and sort of how the gears working and that sort of manual kinetic energy around it just doesnât, doesnât exist anymore. So itâs nice to remember sort of something from a yesteryear.
Jacob: Obviously, there are certain things that have changed in terms of, you know, there arenât ashtrays in the elevator anymore. But they are still human operated. Today, most elevators are electrically propelled. All you have to do is push a button, and the machine does its work. Thatâs not the case for elevators from the 1890s. Jacob: The biggest difference between a mechanical elevator and a human-operated elevator is just that. Itâs the human. There are no buttons, and the elevator does not move independently without the operator or the driver.
Jacob: Whatâs really kind of remarkable about it is the human-to-human interaction that comes with that. And the elevator operators are very much part of the fabric and the community of a building like the Fine Arts Building, because they have personal relationships with all of us. But the aging mechanics behind these antiques have put these relationships in jeopardy. In 2023 the Fine Arts Building announced plans to switch to mechanical elevators. Jacob: A lot of that has to do with just being able to keep up with the technology, and they donât make the parts for them anymore. And, actually, the last person who services the elevators in the city of Chicago is retiring. So all of these things have kind of come to a head and have kind of forced us to modernize the elevators. Before we say goodbye, letâs take one last ride. Jacob: There is something really special about that, you know. For all of its ups and downs and whatnot, you canât be in a rush to go anywhere in the Fine Arts Building, thatâs for sure. But thereâs something magical that comes along with that. And as Iâm sitting next to the elevator and like hearing it move around, youâre reminded of sort of the musicality of that, too, and sort of how the gears working and that sort of manual kinetic energy around it just doesnât, doesnât exist anymore. So itâs nice to remember sort of something from a yesteryear.