Etiquette of the Elevator in 1907

If men should remove their hats in the presence of women in the elevators of business and public buildings they should by analogy take them off in Pullman cars and cabins of ferry-boats, in street and railroad cars and coaches, in closed carriages and omnibuses, in the stores; go uncovered in the corridors of the capitol; the congressional library, the national museum, the corridors of the government office buildings, railroad stations, and, in short, in all places under roof in which the two sexes publicly mingle. – Above, a beautifully designed, art deco era elevator door. 

"There is no one to pass authoritatively upon the etiquette of the elevator," said a critical citizen to a Star reporter, "but it strikes me that the line should be drawn, and a little study of the question has resulted in this conclusion:

"I think the line should be drawn between the business elevators, those in office buildings, stores and public buildings generally and those in hotels. In the latter a man should remove his hat and uncover in the presence of women passengers, and in the former he should not, and there should be no deviation from the rule.

"The differentiation in the established courtesy shown by men as a great class to women may easily be made clear, though there are some of our fair sisters who would keep a man on his knees all the time and never give him a chance to stretch as others would have him uncover in the street cars, which are inclosed compartments frequented by both sexes, and give him a perpetual cold in the head.

"If men should remove their hats in the presence of women in the elevators of business and public buildings they should by analogy take them off in Pullman cars and cabins of ferry-boats, in street and railroad cars and coaches, in closed carriages and omnibuses, in the stores; go uncovered in the corridors of the capitol; the congressional library, the national museum, the corridors of the government office buildings, railroad stations, and, in short, in all places under roof in which the two sexes publicly mingle.

"Certain it is if a woman expects a man to uncover in a public elevator, her sense of discrimination which the cynics of both sexes unite in declaring is not accentuated, except as regards female apparel, it is the height of absurdity for her not to be indignant if a man rides with her with his hat on in a closed carriage; yet not one of our sweet cousins would think for a moment that a man should do this, though he is closer to her in one compartment than in a public elevator, and he is either slightly or well acquainted with her in the bargain.

"In the elevator of a hotel, however, it is another matter. Here the two sexes meet upon more personal terms, as it were, and the relationship between the sexes is more of that in private houses. There is an atmosphere entirely different from that in the elevator of a business or public building, and it is one which demands of a man more courtesy toward the opposite sex than in the latter place

"I have always thought, therefore, when I see men uncover in store and public building elevators that they lacked a discriminating knowledge of gentlemanly instincts rather than, as they evidently suppose, showing such to woman shoppers and visitors to the departments." – Washington Star, 1907

🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Rationalizing Elevator Etiquette

“In hotels where there is a general observance of social forms, I think that if, as already said, there be no draught in the elevator, the hat should be removed in the presence of ladies, and my experience is that it is a variable custom for men to do so in such places. I may add, however, that it is a custom which obtains only in America. In England and on the continent, no gentleman thinks of doing such a thing.” – Photo source, Pinterest

The matter of elevator etiquette, having struggled to the top again, the views of one man upon the subject may be interesting. “In the first place,” said a man to whom the question was submitted, “I would say that under no circumstances should ladies expect a man to remove their hats if there be the slightest suspicion of a draught in the elevator, and my only experience has been that they are seldom without it. 

“To say nothing of the lesser and simply annoying ailments, some of the most serious maladies are traced by physicians to no more serious cause than a brief chilling draught. In the second place, the question would be where the elevator is situated. If it’s in a business building where people are supposed to go only for business purposes and where the observation of social forms and ceremonial etiquette is not important, and perhaps not even sensible, I would say that men should not be asked to remove their hats, and I do not think that they are disposed to do so. 

“When we come to a hotel elevator the question grows finer. There are hotels where it would be a little pretentious and almost out of place to indulge in such a ceremony. In the smaller country hotels, for instance, and in hotels generally where there is little pretension to social style, the removal of hats in elevators would hardly seem to be necessary. In some places, I think it would be even impolite, on the principle observed by the German Prince who, when his rustic guest poured out his coffee in a saucer, did the same thing himself that the untutored fellow may not suffer from his blunder. 

“On the other hand, in hotels where there is a general observance of social forms, I think that if, as already said, there be no draught in the elevator, the hat should be removed in the presence of ladies, and my experience is that it is a variable custom for men to do so in such places. I may add, however, that it is a custom which obtains only in America. In England and on the continent, no gentleman thinks of doing such a thing.” — The New York Times, 1890

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia