This landmark publication documents the extraordinary impact that elevators, escalators and moving walkways have had on the urban landscape, building types and culture worldwide. The mid-nineteenth-century invention of the elevator safety break, in conjunction with other developments such as the steel frame, facilitated the construction of the skyscraper and so helped to transform the appearance of our cities and the places in which many of us live and work. The turn-of-the-century inventions of the escalator and the moving sidewalk have left their indelible mark on railway stations, airports, retail spaces, hotels, offices, factories and elsewhere. Engagingly and authoritatively written and stunningly illustrated with widely sourced images that range from historical prints, photographs and film stills to the latest computer renderings, "Up, Down, Across makes a long-overdue and valuable addition to urban and architectural studies and cultural history.
