Online search suggests this is a rare, large-format 9.5″ Otis Elevator nameplate with documented mid-century provenance linking it specifically to major machinery in the Pennsylvania Station (Penn 9) district of New York City. Plenty of pictures to judge.
This is a rare, museum-quality OTIS Elevator Company industrial artifact with documented New York City provenance. Measuring a substantial 9 ½” x 2 ¼”, this large-format nameplate is crafted from heavy non-magnetic cast aluminum, featuring the iconic mid-century block logo and a distinctive sand-cast pebbled texture in the recessed background. Unlike typical salvaged equipment, this piece features a completely clean, hole-free face and is flush-mounted from the rear onto its original vintage wood plaque, suggesting it was likely a high-end architectural display or a commemorative presentation piece.
The reverse side provides exceptional historical value with a period pencil inscription reading: “From (name is pictured and guessing service technician or field engineer for the Otis Elevator Company) also reads Used in Penn Nin Equipment.” This notation definitively links the piece to the “Penn 9” (Pennsylvania 9) exchange district of Manhattan, the historic neighborhood encompassing the original Pennsylvania Station and the Hotel Pennsylvania. Weighing in at 1 lb 5 oz, this “ready-to-display” survivor is offered in its original, uncleaned industrial patina, making it a premier find for collectors of NYC transit history and high-end architectural salvage.
This looks Aluminum and nonmagnetic. Found some fun reading about this famous company from the great Wikipedia at bottom of page also!
Measures 9 3/8″ wide, 2 1/8″ tall x 5/16 thick. Wood is 12 1/4″ x 3 5/8″. Weight is 1 pound 5 oz, Paint splatter, dings, scratches nice Patina and still looks great! Cool historic find. Has tape residue on reverse pictured.
Guessing made 1930s – 1960s.. Cool Old Otis Elevator Company Name Plate.
This looks Aluminum and nonmagnetic. Found some fun reading about this famous company from the great Wikipedia at bottom of page also!
Measures 9 3/8″ wide, 2 1/8″ tall x 5/16 thick. Wood is 12 1/4″ x 3 5/8″. Weight is 1 pound 5 oz, Paint splatter, dings, scratches nice Patina and still looks great! Cool historic find. Has tape residue on reverse pictured.
Guessing made early 1930s – 1960s. Cool Old Otis Elevator Company Tag!!
The booming elevator market
In 1852 Elisha Otis invented the safety elevator, which automatically comes to a halt if the hoisting rope breaks. After a demonstration at the 1853 New York World’s Fair, the elevator industry established credibility.
Otis elevator in Glasgow, Scotland, imported from the U.S. in 1856 for Gardner’s Warehouse, the oldest cast-iron fronted building in the British Isles.
The Otis Elevator Company was founded in Yonkers, New York, in 1853 by Elisha Otis. When Elisha died in 1861, his sons Charles and Norton formed a partnership and continued the business. During the American Civil War, their elevators were in high demand due to the shipment of war materials. Businesses throughout the United States purchased them. In 1864, with the partnership of J.M. Alvord, the company became known as Otis Brothers & Co. In 1867, Otis opened a factory in Yonkers, New York, the city where the company was founded.
In 1925, the world’s first fully automatic elevator, Collective Control, was introduced. In 1931, the company installed the world’s first double-deck elevator in New York City.
Otis opened a factory in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1965.
Fayette S. Dunn became president of the company in 1964, succeeding the late Percy Douglas.
