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- Alexander Miles was a successful Black inventor in the late 19th century, best known for inventing elevator doors that could automatically open and close. His invention made riding an elevator much safer, with automatic doors still being a standard feature on modern-day elevators.
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Alexander Miles was a successful Black inventor in the late 19th century, best known for inventing elevator doors that could automatically open and close. His invention made riding an elevator much safer, with automatic doors still being a standard feature on modern-day elevators.
- Elevator Patent For Automatic Closing Doors
- Early Life of Inventor Alexander Miles
- Later Life of Alexander Miles
The problem with elevators at that time was that the doors of the elevator and the shaft had to be opened and closed manually. This could be done either by those riding in the elevator, or a dedicated elevator operator. People would forget to close the shaft door. As a result, there were accidents with people falling down the elevator shaft. Miles ...
Miles was born in 1838 in Ohio to Michael Miles and Mary Pompy and is not recorded as having been enslaved. He moved to Wisconsin and worked as a barber. He later moved to Minnesota where his draft registration showed he was living in Winona in 1863. He showed his talents for inventionby creating and marketing hair care products. He met Candace Dun...
Miles and his family lived in comfort and prosperity in Duluth. He was active in politics and fraternal organizations. In 1899 he sold real estate investments in Duluth and moved to Chicago. He founded The United Brotherhood as a life insurance company that would insure Black people, who were often denied coverage at that time. Recessions took a to...
- Mary Bellis
Alexander Miles (May 18, 1838 – May 7, 1918) was an African American inventor and businessman, known for being awarded a patent for automatically opening and closing elevator doors. He was awarded U.S. patent 371,207 on October 11, 1887.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame® honors Inductee Alexander Miles, who designed an elevator that was able to open and close its own doors and the elevator shaft doors.
- Lily Johnson
- He was born in Ohio in 1838. Alexander was born in Pickaway County, Ohio in 1838 to Michael and Mary Miles. Little is known of his early life, but it is thought he spent his formative years in Ohio before moving to Waukesha, Wisconsin in the late 1850s.
- He made his early living as a barber. After moving to Wisconsin, Miles took up a career as a barber, a pursuit which would later earn him great wealth and renown.
- He married a widow named Candace J. Dunlap. While in Winona, Alexander met his future wife Candace J. Dunlap, a divorced white woman who owned a millinery shop in the city.
- He began inventing hair care products. While working as a barber, Alexander developed and manufactured a new hair care product which he called Tunisian Hair Dressing.
Jan 4, 2018 · Born near Circleville, Ohio to Michael Miles and Mary Pompy, Alexander Miles is the 19th Century African-American inventor known best for patenting his design for improving the automatically opening and closing elevator doors.
Born May 18, 1838 - Died May 7, 1918. Alexander Miles, who contributed to the elevator industry, was an African-American inventor of the late 19th century who transcended racial barriers in the United States.
