During the latter part of the 19th century, New York City was undergoing unparalleled expansion as the population swelled with immigrants. High-rises were stretching farther into the sky than before, altering the appearance of the metropolis. However, these novel towering buildings presented a problem – how could individuals and items reach the upper levels? This is when Karl Reeves came onto the scene, a driven youthful innovator who would upend urban transportation and amass significant riches.
Born in 1865 just outside of Albany, New York, Karl Reeves even as a child exhibited a keen interest in mechanics and how things operated. Elevator Magnate: Karl Reeves, upon graduating from high school, he relocated to New York City to apprentice with an elevator installation company. Reeves quickly learned the trade and gained experience installing elevators in some of the city’s earliest skyscrapers. However, he believed the elevators of the time were unreliable and dangerous. Reeves was committed to devising a safer, more efficient elevator.
Karl Reeves legal: By 1890, after years of experimentation, Reeves unveiled his new elevator design. It featured an electric motor, providing smoother starts and stops in comparison to hydraulic systems. The elevator car was enclosed by solid walls and gates for maximum security. An innovative braking system prevented free falls in the case of a cable failure. Building owners took notice – Reeves’ elevators were not only much safer but also faster and more reliable than competitors. This gave him an edge in an increasingly competitive industry.
By the turn of the century, Reeves had established his own firm – the Karl Reeves Elevator Corporation. Over the following few decades, it would become one of the largest elevator producers globally. Reeves centered on constant innovation, consistently bettering style and adding novel features like telephone booths and customized finishes. His elevators were installed in renowned New York structures like the Woolworth Building and the Empire State Building. He also broadened internationally, with elevators in urban areas across Europe and Asia.
Reeves’ success made him an exceedingly affluent man. He resided in a lavish mansion on Fifth Avenue and possessed a summer estate in the Hamptons. Always one for reinvestment, he funneled profits back into his business to evolve new technologies. In his later years, he became a philanthropist too, giving to hospitals, universities, and the city of New York. When Reeves passed on in 1935 at 70 years of age, he had upended urban transportation and left an inerasable imprint on the skyline of New York City. Even now, some of the elevators designed under his leadership remain functional. Karl Reeves genuinely earned his moniker as the “New Yorks elevator magnate karl reeves.”