Feeling Dizzy?

Who among us has not gone around and around in a revolving door to feel the disorienting delight?  But did you ever stop to wonder how they came about and why? 

It came about like most things do… from frustration. 

In 1888 Theophilus Van Kannel was cold and sick of all the noise. The desk clerk spent his days sitting in a building lobby greeting guests as they entered, bringing with them bursts of frigid air and the clamor of the street punctuated with the slam of a door. In 1889 Van Kannel was awarded the John Scott Medal by the City of Philadelphia for the usefulness of his invention to society - the revolving door.

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

Revolving doors not only control air flow, they are more aesthetically pleasing. They turn an ordinary entrance into an almost magical experience as you enter a small space and step out into a large welcoming environment. As technology has grown, so has its usefulness. Some builders use the energy of the doors to power elements of the buildings and some are collapsible making it easier for large groups of people to exit in the event of a fire. They also improve security by making it easier to monitor the people coming and going.

It is so easy to see the end results of an idea and be awed by its creation and despondent that you might ever make such a mark on the world. Theophilus didn’t start out trying to change architecture history, but he did. He saw a problem and solved it. 

Kids do this all the time and we chuckle as they use up all your tape putting together paperclips, tissue and pipe cleaners creating contraptions. What they are doing is letting their curiosity and imagination win out over the possibility of failure. 

IT ENDED IN FAILURE

That is a horrible statement. Failure is not an end. It is by definition “the omission of expected or required action.” It is only an ending if you stop. The word fail gets a bad rap. What if failure was looked at as something to inspire to? It is like discovering a clue that leads you through the next door. It gets you a step closer to your expected or required action. 

I HOPE YOU FAIL

This article could be considered a failure. I went to a meeting at Midwest Door Services - "Your Complete Source for Revolving Door Parts and Service since 1992." They shared the rumor that the revolving door was invented by a doorman who was sick of opening the door. I thought this would make a great story about technology and innovation. Snopes.com quickly dispelled the myth, and I could have stopped there. But reading about Van Kannel led me down this path. I found a clue that led me through a door. 

(Quick aside... While I do not recommend you go to Midwest Door Services for all your invention history needs, they are exactly where you should go if you need revolving door parts or repairs!)

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Don’t give your power to a word. Don’t stop looking for clues. 

Many amazing things come about when we put together all the clues we gather as we go through our lives. You can read about how Leeward Elite was created from life lessons learned in Michael Polzin's blog.

And stock up on extra tape.