Elevator Historical Society

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The Elevator Historical Society was a museum dedicated to the history and culture of elevators, founded by Patrick Carrajat in 2011 in Long Island City, Queens, New York. The museum displayed a collection of artifacts, documents, photographs and memorabilia related to elevators, ranging from antique buttons and indicators to elevator models and parts. The museum also offered educational programs and tours for visitors interested in learning more about the role of elevators in New York City and beyond.

The museum was located on the second floor of a car garage in an industrial area near Silvercup Studios², where several TV shows were filmed. The museum's founder, Patrick Carrajat, was a lifelong elevator enthusiast who started working as an elevator repairman at age 11 with his father². He later became an elevator consultant and historian who wrote books and articles on the subject. He also collected elevator items for over 50 years before opening the museum with his own funds³.

The museum's mission was to preserve and promote the heritage of elevators and to educate the public about their importance and evolution. The museum aimed to showcase how elevators influenced architecture, engineering, design, art and society⁴. The museum also celebrated the contributions of elevator inventors, manufacturers, operators and workers who made vertical transportation possible¹.

The museum closed its doors in 2015 due to financial difficulties and lack of public support². Carrajat donated some of his collection to other museums and institutions, such as the Smithsonian Institution and the New York Transit Museum². He also kept some items for his personal use or for future projects. He expressed his disappointment that his museum did not receive more recognition or funding from the city or the elevator industry².

The Elevator Historical Society was one of two elevator museums in New York City at the time of its operation. The other one was The Elevator Museum at 21 West Broadway in Manhattan, which opened in 2008 by another elevator enthusiast named Lee Gray¹. However, unlike Carrajat's museum, Gray's museum was not open to the public but only by appointment for researchers or professionals¹.

References

(1) To the Elevators, and Then to the Pit - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/nyregion/to-the-elevators-and-then-to-the-pit.html Accessed 3/5/2023. (2) Elevator Historical Society – Queens, New York - Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/elevator-historical-society Accessed 3/5/2023. (3) The Elevator Historical Society - NYCgo.com. https://www.nycgo.com/museums-galleries/the-elevator-historical-society Accessed 3/5/2023. (4) A Tale of Two Elevator Museums - Untapped New York. https://untappedcities.com/2013/03/14/nycs-elevator-museums/ Accessed 3/5/2023.