George A Wheeler from New York is granted a US patent for the escalator, a moving staircase.
We take for granted Wheeler’s flat-step moving staircase: today they can be found in towns and cities across the world. However, Wheeler’s moving staircase was never built. Charles Seeberger, inventor from Massachusetts working for the Otis Elevator Company, bought the patent off Wheeler later in 1892 and perfected the design. This became the first commercial escalator and was exhibited at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. It won first prize, beating the 450-foot statue of a woman with search lights in her eyes.
News of the escalator spread around the world. Bloomingdale’s in New York added one in the same year, in 1902 Macy’s did likewise with the Bon Marché in Paris following suit in 1906 with their ‘Fahrtreppe’. Escalators were soon being installed in underground railways, factories, mills and large office buildings. Stairs can be limiting for the disabled or frail, but the escalator provided the possibility of moving a constant flow of people either going up or descending without any limitations.
Seeburger is the one who coined the term ‘escalator’ and he registered the trademark ESCALATOR (US REG. No. 34,724). The escalator is so famous that it has become a ‘trademark genericide’ – which means it has becomes the name of the product irrespective of what company makes it. Currently the longest and highest escalator is the Central Mid-Level escalator in Hong Kong, which was built between 1991-1993. It travels along 800m (2,600ft) in distance and provides a link between Central and Mid-Levels on Hong island. Please be aware: this is a one-way escalator. Before 10 a.m., the escalator runs only downward, and from 10 a.m. to midnight, it runs upward.