Abstract: A vacuum lifter mountable on a fork lift has a low vertical profile particularly useful in the warehousing of sheet materials, minimizing the needed clearance thereabove to access the sheet materials. The lifter includes a low vertical profile frame having a protective wall to minimize damage to the vacuum cups mounted on the frame. The vacuum cups may be raised to a position within the protective wall and lowered to a position therebelow to facilitate vacuum attachment to sheet materials or other objects to be lifted. The vacuum cups may be mounted on the frame via pivot arms cantilevered from the frame. The pivot arms may be positioned in opposed pairs and raised by camming action such as by a cam bar extending between the pivot arms and slidably mounted on the frame.