About this artwork
Elisha Graves Otis’s invention of the safe elevator in the 1850s greatly increased the practicality of constructing tall buildings and played a significant role in the evolution of the skyscraper. This collection contains elevator plans for forty-seven buildings, prepared by the Chicago office of Otis Elevator Company between 1903 and 1906 for such architectural firms as D.H. Burnham & Co., Holabird & Roche, and Richard Schmidt.
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Collection access:
Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult <a href=”“https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq”“>the FAQ.
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Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:
(312) 857-7676
archives@artic.edu
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- AIC Archives
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Artist
- D.H. Burnham & Co. (Collaborator)
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Title
- Otis Elevator Company Collection
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Date
- Made 1903–1906
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Medium
- Ink drawings on linen.
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Dimensions
- 1 oversize portfolio: H.: 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Joyce and Don Wiberg, 1996.
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Reference Number
- 1996.4
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
