Love in an elevator: One man's uplifting hobby

Check out Reams' videos on YouTube

Some people have hobbies that are just plain weird.

That’s how Andrew Reams, in fact, describes his hobby — elevator photography.

“Ever since I’ve been a little kid, I’ve been fascinated with elevators,” said Reams, 31.

That fascination, he said, prompted his foray into his new pastime — videotaping his rides in elevators across the country, particularly in Central Virginia.

“I always have my camera, and any time I come upon an elevator I’m filming it,” he said.

Lynchburg’s elevators haven’t escaped Reams’ camera, and many have made appearances on the online video-sharing service YouTube.

A search of the site for “Lynchburg” and “elevator” brings up several Hill City contributions from Reams, known as ‘dieselducy’ on the site.

One particular favorite in the area, Reams said, is the elevator in the Allied Arts building on Church Street.

“One thing I can never get enough of is the beautiful art deco in that lobby,” said Reams, who lives in Roanoke.

He also listed the elevator at the Guggenheimer nursing home as a favorite.

“It’s got a manual-operated door, it’s got a manual gate; I mean, it’s a hundred percent original. It’s probably one of my favorites in this area,” he said.

“The older and ricketier it is, the better.”

Reams said he filmed his first elevator in 1993, at the Hilton Hotel in Atlanta.

“Glass elevator, it was 30 stories,” he said.

As enthusiastic as Reams is about elevators, there was a time when he was petrified at the thought of riding in one.

“Back when I was younger I was terrified to ride elevators for two years,” he said, “because I broke one, one time.”

It was an old elevator at an apartment complex.

“I rode it up and down for three hours straight,” he said.

The elevator suddenly stuck between floors, and Reams couldn’t get the three-story contraption moving again.

“I pressed all the buttons,” he said. “I rang the bell … after about 30 minutes someone heard it.”

A technician reset the circuit breaker — the only remedy the elevator needed.

“Down it went,” Reams said. “For about two years I would not step in another elevator.”

Since getting more serious about his hobby, Reams has posted more than 700 videos of elevators to YouTube.

“With this digital age we live in,” Reams said, “the Internet has made it a much easier way to share my hobbies with other people that share similar interests.”

Some of his online videos have gathered thousands of hits; a few have been viewed more than 30,000 times.

Patrick Nedz, 15, of Butler, Pa., said he first became acquainted with Reams via YouTube and the two have talked by phone, but never met in person.

“We’ve talked for almost over a year now,” Nedz said.

“I thought that it was fun that I could actually … talk to someone else that likes the same stuff I do.”

Despite his communications with hobbyists like himself across the country, Reams said there aren’t too many.

“As far as I know, I’m the only elevator photographer in this area,” he said.

Reams said given the oddness of the hobby, he’s had a few run-ins with security, especially given America’s post-9/11 society.

“Filming elevators is not something that’s very common,” he said, mentioning one episode he had filming a hotel elevator in Staunton.

“The video went fine,” Reams said, “but on my way out the man at the front desk asked me, ‘are you a guest in the hotel?’”

“I said ‘No, sir, I’m not.’ He’s like, ‘well what are you doing here?’”

“I said ‘I’m an elevator photographer,’” Reams continued.

The conversation ended with a bit of frustration and Reams promising not to come back, he said.

Another time, at the Bank of the James in downtown Lynchburg, Reams said he didn’t realize the elevators were equipped with security cameras.

“The security guard just kind of shook his head and laughed at me as I walked out.”

Most of the time, Reams said, he gets blank stares, rolled eyes or raised eyebrows.

“I have gotten some really weird looks,” he said, adding, “Even my family thinks it’s weird, but, I mean, it’s a hobby.”

“I’m sure I’ll get thrown out of a building sometime,” he added.