When Otis automated elevators in the 1950s, skilled operators lost high-paying jobs
soumitrashukla9 · x · 2026-10-12
Part 7 of the thread: in the early 1930s, commercial elevator operators manually aligned cars using hand controls — a skilled, high-paying job. From Otis automatic elevators in the 1950s, these jobs largely faded, leaving skilled workers displaced with an identity crisis, echoing the weaving revolution. The prior passage notes Ford's assembly line as early scientific management whose efficiency costs fell on workers' psyche.
Related event: From Looms to AI: A Centuries-Old History of Automation Anxiety(6 posts)→
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