page_title: Frank J. Sprague
section_title: Electric elevators
hierarchical_section_title: Frank J. Sprague / Career / Electric elevators
caption_attribution_description: English: Sprague Electric Company, 1898
context_page_description: Frank Julian Sprague was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators. His contributions were especially important in promoting urban development by increasing the size cities could reasonably attain and by allowing greater concentration of business in commercial sections. He became known as the "Father of Electric Traction".He demonstrated an aptitude for science and mathematics, Sprague secured an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1874. He pursued his electrical studies relentlessly after graduation in 1878 and 2 years at sea.
context_section_description: While electrifying the streetcars of Richmond, the increased passenger capacity and speed gave Sprague the notion that similar results could be achieved in vertical transportation — electric elevators. He saw that increasing the capacity of elevator shafts would not only save passengers' time but would also increase the earnings of tall buildings, with height limited by the total floor space taken up in the shaftways by slow hydraulic-powered elevators.
  In 1892, Sprague founded the Sprague Electric Elevator Company. Working with Charles R. Pratt he developed the Sprague-Pratt Electric Elevator, the first of which was installed in the Postal Telegraph Building in 1894. The company developed floor control, automatic elevators, acceleration control of car safeties, and a number of freight elevators. The Sprague-Pratt elevator ran faster and with larger loads than hydraulic or steam elevators, and 584 elevators had been installed worldwide. Sprague then sold his company to the Otis Elevator Company in 1895.
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caption: Sprague Electric Company, 1898
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