The First Ferris Wheel

A Brief History of the Invention and Construction of the Ferris Wheel together with a short biography of George W.G. Ferris, Esq. (Chicago: The Ferris Wheel Company, 1893). Graphic Arts collection GA 2019- in process.

A rare little pamphlet has come into the Graphic Arts collection depicting the world’s first modern Ferris Wheel. Seven pages of letterpress open to a center fold birds eye view entitled: Birdseye view of Exposition Building from the summit of the Wheel.” The booklet includes technical details about the construction of the Wheel, ending “Each revolution took twenty minutes, passengers remaining on board during two revolutions.”

See also:
CONDERMAN v. CLEMENTS.
(Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. July 14, 1906.)
No. 5S0.
1. PATENTs–-INVENTION.—PLEASURE WHEEL. The Conderman patent, No. 669,621, for a pleasure wheel similar to the Ferris wheel, except that it is lighter and the parts are detachable, so that it may be taken apart to facilitate its transportation from place to place, is void for lack of invention; the only changes over prior portable structures of the kind being such as required only mechanical skill to make.