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Just found out the first elevator safety brake was invented because of a stage show
I was reading up on some old elevator history last night. Came across a story about Elisha Otis. He didn't just invent the safety brake in a workshop. He actually showed it off at a big exhibition in New York City in 1854. He had himself hoisted up on a platform, then had an assistant cut the rope with an axe. The crowd gasped, but the brake caught it. The crazy part? He did this as a promotion for his boss's bed frame factory at the show. The whole elevator safety industry basically started as a publicity stunt. Makes you think about how some of our core tech came from weird places. Has anyone else run into other odd bits of elevator history like that?
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emerydixon2mo ago
Publicity stunt... like my last attempt at DIY home repairs.
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parkerkim2mo ago
Oh man, @emerydixon, that "last attempt at DIY" line is too real. I mean, my own home projects usually end with me calling someone to fix my fix. It's a whole mood.
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emerydixon1mo ago
Right? @parkerkim, it's like we're paying for a lesson and a repair at the same time. Maybe the real DIY was learning when to put the tools down.
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