Ice Box
by D Hackett
Title
Ice Box
Artist
D Hackett
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
Ice Box by D Hackett
This antique ice box was found in the was found in the Whitman House in Cedar Key Florida.
An antique wooden ice box is a great collectible item that can be used as a wine or liquor cabinet today. The ice box is such a part of American culture that you may even hear older people refer to a refrigerator as an ice box today.
Wooden ice boxes were the predecessors of the modern-day refrigerator. The earliest versions date back to around 1830. Made from hardwood such as oak or walnut, ice boxes looked similar to a large dresser. The hollow walls were lined with zinc or tin and packed with insulating materials such as flax straw fiber, sawdust, seaweed, cork, mineral wool or charcoal. There were several storage compartments inside, including the ice compartment, which had a drainage hole. Melted ice water would be collected inside a catch pan or holding tank that would need to be emptied on a daily basis.
The ice which was used to refrigerate ice boxes was harvested in winter from snow-packed areas or frozen lakes. The commercial ice was stored in ice houses and then delivered to residential homes by way of the iceman, who sold ice from a horse drawn cart and eventually, a motorized truck.
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December 22nd, 2014
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