When did they stop making the ice box?
Based on my research, the ice box essentially disappeared during the 1950s as electric household refrigerators became so cheap and the country so prosperous that basically anybody could afford them. When that happened, the use of the word “ice box” declined with the appliance that it represented.
What was the ice box called before the refrigerator?
What I really appreciate about that chart is that it basically illustrates something that my research already told me: before the electric household refrigerator came along, “ice boxes” were called “refrigerators.” Before explaining that statement a little better, let me define terms.
Who was the first person to make an ice box?
“The first ice boxes were made by carpenters in the 1840s”. According to my genealogical research into my husband’s family tree, the first icebox was invented by Thomas Moore (husband’s 5th great-grandfather) in 1803.
Why was it bad to clean an ice box?
Ice boxes were also hell to clean, particularly as ice cut from lakes and ponds in the early days of the ice industry often had natural sediment in it. If the smell of any food permeated the wood inside and got into the insulation, the whole appliance would become worthless.
When did the Ice Box become the refrigerator?
Only after the invention of the modern day electric refrigerator did the early non electric refrigerators become known as an icebox. The terms ice box and refrigerator were used interchangeably in advertising as long ago as 1848.
When did the icebox become a global industry?
As the icebox began to make its way into homes during the early to mid 19th century, ice collection and distribution expanded and soon became a global industry. During the latter half of the 19th century, natural ice became the second most important US export by value, after cotton.
Why was the icebox used to store perishables?
The design of the icebox allowed perishable foods to be stored longer than before and without the need for lengthier preservation processes such as smoking, drying, or canning. Refrigerating perishables also had the added benefit of not altering the taste of what it is preserving, unlike the other previously mentioned preservation methods.
How much ice does a Boston Scientific icebox hold?
Such companies like the Boston Scientific Refrigerator Company, introduced iceboxes which could hold up to 50 lbs of ice. In a 1907 survey of expenditures of New York City inhabitants, 81% of the families surveyed were found to possess “refrigerators” either in the form of ice stored in a tub or iceboxes.
