User:Reagan young1/sandbox

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Icebox <---article link

User:Btblomenkamp1/sandbox <---partner sandbox

Draft of potential icebox restructuring[edit]

An icebox (also called a cold closet) is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common early-twentieth-century kitchen appliance before the development of powered refrigeration devices. Before the development of electric refrigerators, "iceboxes" were referred to by the public as refrigerators. Only after the invention of the modern day electric refrigerator did the early non-electric refrigerators become known as an icebox. [1]

Origin[edit]

The first recorded use of refrigeration technology dates back to 1775 BC in the Sumerian city of Terqa.[2] It was there that the region's King, Zimri-lim, began the construction of an elaborate ice house fitted with a sophisticated drainage system and shallow pools to freeze water in the night.[2] Using ice for cooling and preservation was nothing new at this point, but these ice houses paved the way for their smaller counterpart, the ice box, to come into existence.[3] The more traditional icebox dates back to the days of ice harvesting, which had hit an industrial high that ran from the mid-19th century until the 1930s, when the refrigerator was introduced into the home. Most municipally consumed ice was harvested in winter from snow-packed areas or frozen lakes, stored in ice houses, and delivered domestically. In 1827 the commercial ice cutter was invented, which increased the ease and efficiency of harvesting natural ice. This invention made ice cheaper and in turn helped the icebox become more common.[4] Various companies appeared including Sears, The Baldwin Refrigerator Company, and the Ranney Refrigerator Company started getting involved in the icebox manufacturing industry. [5] 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.[6]

Design[edit]

A. Norwegian icebox. The ice was placed in the drawer at top. B. Typical Victorian icebox, of oak with tin or zinc shelving and door lining. C. An oak cabinet icebox that would be found in well-to-do homes.

The icebox was invented by an American farmer and cabinetmaker named Thomas Moore in 1802.[7] Moore used the icebox to transport butter from his home to the Georgetown markets, which allowed him to sell firm, brick butter instead of soft, melted tubs like his fellow vendors at the time. His first design consisted of an oval cedar tub with a tin container fitted inside with ice between them, all wrapped in rabbit fur to insulate the device.[7] Later versions would include hollow walls that were lined with tin or zinc and packed with various insulating materials such as cork, sawdust, straw or seaweed.[8] A large block of ice was held in a tray or compartment near the top of the box. Cold air circulated down and around storage compartments in the lower section. Some finer models had spigots for draining ice water from a catch pan or holding tank. In cheaper models a drip pan was placed under the box and had to be emptied at least daily. The user had to replenish the melted ice, normally by obtaining new ice from an iceman. Reagan young1 (talk) 06:13, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

Ice Collection and Distribution[edit]

The constant temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit has been utilized in preserving ice collected during winter months in the form of underground pits since Roman times. [9] Prior to the convenience of having refrigeration inside the home, cold storage systems would often be located underground in the form of a pit. These pits would be deep enough to not only provide thorough insulation but also deter animals from intruding on the perishable items within. In earlier cases, straw and sawdust might be compacted along the sides of ice to provide further insulation and help slow the ice melting process.[10] By the year 1781, personal ice pits were becoming more advanced. The Robert Morris Icehouse, located in Philadelphia brought new refrigeration technicalities to the forefront. This pit contains a drainage system for water run off as well as the use of brick and mortar for its insulation. The octagon shaped pit, approximately 4 meters in diameter located 5.5 meters underground was capable of storing ice that was obtained during the winter months to the next October or November.[9] Ice blocks collected during winter months could later be distributed to customers. As refrigeration began to make its way into the home during the early to mid 19th century, in the form of what's known today as an icebox, the market of collecting and distributing ice expanded and soon became a global industry.[11] During the later half of the 19th century, natural ice became the most important export for the United States in terms of dollar amount second to the export of cotton.[11]
Btblomenkamp1 (talk) 20:25, 17 March 2019 (UTC)

Impact[edit]

As the techniques for food preservation steadily improved, prices decreased and food became more readily available.[12] As more households adopted the icebox, the overall quality and freshness of this food was also improved. Iceboxes meant that people were able to go the market less and could more safely store leftovers. All of this contributed to the improvement of the population's health by increasing the fresh food readily able to be consumed and the overall safety of that food.


However, with metropolitan growth, many sources of natural ice became contaminated from industrial pollution or sewer runoff. As early mechanical refrigerators became available, they were installed as large industrial plants producing ice for home delivery. Able to produce clean, sanitary ice year-round, their product gradually replaced ice harvested from ponds. With widespread electrification and safer refrigerants, mechanical refrigeration in the home became possible. With the development of the chlorofluorocarbons (along with the succeeding hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons), that came to replace the use of toxic ammonia gas, the refrigerator replaced the icebox, though icebox is still sometimes used to refer to mechanical refrigerators.

The widespread use of iceboxes was partially credited with reduction of US infant mortality in summer months.[13]


Reagan young1 (talk) 18:10, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

  1. ^ Refrigeration Nation. ISBN 1-4214-1106-7.
  2. ^ a b Jackson, Tom (2015). Chilled : How refrigeration changed the world, and might do so again. New York: Bloomsbury. pp. 15–16. ISBN 9781472911438. OCLC 914183858.
  3. ^ Bjornlund, Lydia (2015). How the Refrigerator Changed History. Michagan: ABDO. pp. 23–25. ISBN 9781629697710.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ Landau, Elaine (2006). The History of Everyday Life. New York City, New York: Twenty-First Century Books. p. 32. ISBN 0-8225-3808-3.
  5. ^ Jones, Joseph (1981). American Ice Boxes. Humble, TX: Jobeco Books. p. 46-47, 66. ISBN 978-0960757206.
  6. ^ Chapin, Robert Coit (1909). The Standard Of Living Among Workingmen's Families in New York City. New York: Charities Publication Committee. p. 136. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Thomas Moore". www.monticello.org. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  8. ^ "The History of Household Wonders: History of the Refridgerator". History.com. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 26 March 2008 suggested (help)
  9. ^ a b "The First Icebox In America".
  10. ^ "Filling the Ice House".
  11. ^ a b Gavroglu, Kostas. History of Artificial Cold, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Issues. Springer. p. 135. ISBN 978-94-007-7198-7.
  12. ^ Rees, Jonathan (2018). Before the refrigerator : how we used to get ice. Baltimore: JHU Press. pp. 4–7. ISBN 9781421424583. OCLC 1019837619.
  13. ^ Kleinberg, S. J. (1989). The Shadow of the Mills: Working-Class Families in Pittsburgh, 1870–1907. Pittsburgh Series in Social and Labor History. Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 108. ISBN 0822954451. Retrieved 1 May 2016.

Peer Review by Austincross44 (talk) 16:45, 22 March 2019 (UTC)[edit]

  1. Good job clarifying the origin of the term “refrigerator” versus “icebox”, I doubt many people know that. The content already added looks to be comprehensive and there’s an impressive variety of sources.
  2. You could maybe include more information on where iceboxes were widely used and by who. Were they primarily for home or commercial use? This could help clarify their impact on society. You mentioned that iceboxes were partially credited for reducing infant mortality in summer months, elaborating on this further could help the article as it’s not immediately clear how iceboxes are related to reducing infant mortality.
  3. I think the biggest improvement to the article would be a more solid timeline. It begins talking about 1775 B.C and then moves straight into the mid nineteenth century. It would be interesting to know more about what happened in between.
  4. The organization of your sandbox really stood out to me. Everything is very nicely arranged and easy to find. Including a link to the other partner’s sandbox at the top is also a nice touch.

Austincross44 (talk) 16:45, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

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