On the 4th October 1911 Britain’s first escalators were introduced, connecting the District and Piccadilly platforms at Earl’s Court underground station in London.
10 months later “the fair sex” were still struggling to get to grips with it, as reported in the Pall Mall Gazette
A “MOVABLE TERROR.” LADIES AND EARL’S COURT ESCALATOR.
“I wish you would take the lift, mother, and not those horrible stairs.”
A young lady thus summed up her dislike of the moving staircase at Earl’s Court Station to-day.
A “Pall Mall Gazette” representative who overheard the remark ventured to ask why she objected to those horrible stairs”?
I simply cannot bear the sensation,” she replied, ”of standing on a platform that is moving downwards and looking into an abyss-like space. It really makes my head swim. The first time I tried the staircase, just out of curiosity, I was upset for the rest of the day.”
Our representative, who made further inquiry into this “movable terror” of ladies, found that, so far, the escalator has not been a success with the fair sex, and that only a comparatively small number of lady passengers had availed themselves of it. They still preferred the lift, though the downward movement was somewhat trying to the nerves.
“To my mind,” said a lady of somewhat mature age, the moving staircase is useless. It does not help one more in catching one’s train than the lift, and, besides, it causes emotions far worse than those of the lift.”
One cannot help thinking that those ladies are right, for it happens at almost every hour of the day that people, especially women, approach the staircase, no doubt with the intention of trying it, but on seeing what it is like, retrace their footsteps.
Pall Mall Gazette – Saturday 17 August 1912
Harrod’s Escalator 1898
News From The Past 
If I had to negotiate an escalator wearing those ridiculous skirts, I’d have second thoughts myself.
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Indeed. I’ve now updated it with an image of people going up and down it.
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Actually, that bottom picture does look a little intimidating with the steps disappearing into a big hole. It looks like you had to get off to the side on that one (and step down). I’m not sure I could have done it without stepping on my hem.
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