Every time you get into an elevator and observe the doors closing automatically, you are using an idea that is more than 130 years old. Alexander Miles, a barber born in Ohio, designed a system that enabled elevator car doors and shaft doors to open and close automatically, according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. It was patented on October 11, 1887, and it may have helped save lives. The story also reflects the life of a Black businessman who ran a barbershop, invested in real estate, and solved a problem engineers had overlooked.
A barber with a big idea
Miles was born in 1838 in Circleville, Ohio, and died in 1918. He was not an inventor at first. He worked as a barber in Waukesha, Wisconsin. NIHF's biography notes that Miles also made a name for himself by creating his own hair-care products. He then moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where he ran a barbershop inside the four-story St. Louis Hotel in 1879. His business was successful, and he used his earnings to start a real estate business and become the first African American in the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. In 1884, Miles built his own separate three-story building, called the "Miles Block" by locals. His elevator story, however, begins back at the St. Louis Hotel, where his barbershop was located.
The elevator safety problem
During the late 19th century, elevators did not have automatic doors that closed themselves; they had to be manually operated by either the operator or the passengers. It might sound harmless, but think about what would happen if people forgot to close the door. The shaft doors would remain open, and somebody could just walk through the opening and fall down the shaft. Records from the National Inventors Hall of Fame document that this risky habit was responsible for injuries as well as death. Two different stories have been reported regarding how Miles became interested in solving this problem. According to one reported account, he may have been inspired by hearing the elevator near his barbershop. Another version says he saw a shaft door left open during a ride with his daughter Grace. Either way, he went on to redesign the system.
