World’s Largest Vertical Letter File (Oct, 1937)
World’s Largest Vertical Letter File
THE largest vertical letter file in the world was built in Prague, Czechoslovakia. It consists of 3,000 drawers, 10 feet high, reaching from floor to ceiling and covering approximately 4,000 square feet. The drawers are all equipped with roller bearings.
Special desks were built for those working at the files. They are, in essence, electrically operated elevators, controlled by a touch of a button, which rise or descend, move to the right or left and stop before the desired drawer.
The drawers themselves are electrically opened and shut. With this installation it is now possible for 20 workers to do what formerly required the services of 400.
There are many jobs in which distribution of the work only results in confusion. In this case, eliminating help expedites progress.
This reminds me of the Central Bureaucracy on Futurama.
Hirudinea: I hope you filled out a “Reminds Me” form first.
… the “Department of Records” in Terry Gilliam’s brilliant 1985 film “Brazil” comes to mind.