Escalator

The escalator began as an amusement park ride. In 1896, Jesse Reno installed his 'inclined elevator' at Coney Island's Old Iron Pier, where it carried passengers up a 25-percent grade to a height of seven feet. Seventy-five thousand people rode it in two weeks—not to get anywhere, but for the novelty of moving without walking. The technology that would transform urban architecture started as entertainment.

The adjacent possible for the escalator required elevators to establish the concept that buildings could move people mechanically, and electric motors powerful enough to drive continuous chains. Reno, a Lehigh University engineering graduate and son of a Civil War general, patented his 'endless conveyor or elevator' in 1892. Unlike stairs, his device used a moving inclined surface—essentially a belt with cleats—that passengers could step onto and ride.

The path from amusement ride to urban infrastructure happened quickly. After Coney Island, Reno's escalator was installed on a trial basis at the Brooklyn Bridge. By 1898, Bloomingdale's department store at 59th Street became the first retail installation. Department stores recognized that moving customers between floors without the wait for elevators could increase sales. The escalator didn't just transport shoppers; it kept them moving through merchandise.

Charles Seeberger developed a competing design with flat steps rather than cleats, coining the name 'escalator' from the Latin 'scala' (steps) and 'elevator.' He partnered with Otis Elevator Company, and their design won first prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Otis acquired Reno's company in 1911, consolidating the industry. By the 1920s, Otis engineers had merged the best features of both designs into the modern escalator with cleated, level steps.

The escalator changed how architects thought about vertical space. Elevators required waiting; escalators offered continuous flow. Subway stations, train terminals, and airports adopted them to move crowds efficiently. Department stores placed escalators in prominent positions, making the journey between floors part of the shopping experience. The technology that began as a Coney Island curiosity became essential infrastructure for moving people through the vertical cities of the 20th century.