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In 1899, the Eiffel Tower was 10 years old. Not only did it have lifts, it famously, notoriously had lifts. French futurist artists could hardly be more aware of the concept.

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I remember reading about an early hotel or some such. Passenger elevators weren't a thing but they knew they were coming so they designed in round elevator shafts. Which later they needed to make a custom elevator for. Because round.

Google comes through for once.

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2020/04/the-elevator-shaft-tha...

tl;dr: Cooper Union's Foundation Building built 1853. Otis demonstrated his invention at the Crystal Palace in 1854, first installed Haughwout Building in 1857

Also freight elevators existed for a long time before but were unsafe for passengers.

Tom Scott did a video about it: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL4xc5bsSUU>

Ok I thought they were created around 1920 when skyscrapers started in NYC. Maybe that is wrong too. My apologies.

The Colloseum had approximately 25 elevators. Build year 80 AD.

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