1852
Otis was the inventor of the modern elevator, but if you count the ancient Roman's use of a pulley system in the Colosseum to lift animals to the floor of the arena this could be counted as the first elevator.
Elevator Safety Brake
1923
Elisha Graves Otis in 1854.
The elevator ('lift' in the UK). He did not invent the elevator(lift). He invented the elevator brake system.
Because he wanted something that would be safe for the passangers that would go into the elevator
Elijah Otis invented elevator safety. Back then the elevators would brake down and fall to the ground, which caused the people to die. Otis invented a back up so if the elevator broke down you were safe.
Here is what I could find on the subject: "Elisha Otis invented the "Improvement in Hoisting Apparatus." Elisha Otis didn't actually invent the elevator, he invented the brake used in modern elevators. His brakes made skyscrapers a practical reality. (above illustration - patent drawing of the Elisha Otis elevator) " What he did was invent a device that would stop the elevator if the main lifting cable broke. Copy and paste link http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blelevator.htm
He built it because if there weren't a brake to stop it then we would fall all the way down and not get back up and that's why he built the elevator brake so we can go up and down and also stop
the first elevator.
yes he did in 1953.
he invented