The Retro Kitchen Feature Hardly Anyone Has Used Since The 1950s

Kitchen trends from the '50s appeal with their unique style: bold colors, sleek surfaces, and an innovative array of appliances. In such an era of prosperity, Americans increasingly turned to modernity, which also meant phasing out outdated features. One such design addition left behind? Dumbwaiters.

Although a rare feature of modern-day homes, such food-designated elevators proved far more popular from the mid-19th century until the 1950s. Just a century back, apartment architects incorporated the small shafts into building designs, oftentimes in luxury settings, but occasionally modest ones, too. In addition to delivering food and drinks from kitchen to dining room, dumbwaiters also served purposes like aiding laundry and transporting goods for storage. 

Originally, dumbwaiters utilized a manual pulley system, a food delivery mechanism said to have been popularized by Thomas Jefferson. Inspired by portable tables used in France, Jefferson created a wine-delivery system through his fireplace chimney, enabling drink delivery without the interruption of waiters. A more elaborate mechanical design was patented a century later in 1887, establishing widespread use in both domestic and commercial settings. Electrification of dumbwaiters during the 1920s furthered proliferation. Yet as post-War America adopted a wide array of new technology, dumbwaiters dropped out of popular use.

Dumbwaiters haven't fully disappeared from the public realm. You might still spot a model in a hotel, restaurant, or even library, redesigned into sleek new form. Yet by the end of the 1950s, the feature became uncommon inside households. Several factors led to the dumbwaiter's disappearance.

Foremost came the safety risks. Although a simple and compact elevator shaft, dumbwaiters pose surprising potential for danger. The open tunnel leads to the spread of fire inside homes, evidenced by several high-profile incidents. Furthermore, the shaft system can also lead to serious injury, whether due to a fall or the force from a cart. Today, enhanced design and regulation have worked to minimize the risks — still, such potential pitfalls turned away consumers.

Additionally, dumbwaiters were historically associated with servants, who had left the American domestic realm by the mid-20th century. With convenient new 1950s kitchen appliances aiding food preparation, the kitchen took on a new domestic role. Subsequently, new house plans didn't include the dumbwaiter in architecture, leading to the feature falling out of use. While many kitchen design trends are coming back around, the dumbwaiter isn't likely one of them.