Cool. . .

. . . is what you'll say when you see this attractive antique oak icebox.

For centuries humans have struggled with how to preserve food. Many foodstuffs could be smoked, dried, or fermented, but our ancestors understood that cold could keep meat, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables fresh. Storage could be as simple as immersing an item in a natural spring or as labor-intensive as digging a root cellar. Ice pits and wells lined with stone and filled with ice harvested from ponds and lakes were the earliest iceboxes. In the early 1800s, Frederick Tudor established the Tudor Ice Company, commercially harvesting ice during New England winters and shipping it as far away as Hong Kong and India.  Dubbed the "Ice King," Tudor insulated the ice with sawdust, a byproduct of the lumber industry, learned how to stack it like bricks to help preserve it during its journey, and built special insulated ice houses for storing the ice. By the mid-1800s, the machines for artificially creating ice were patented.

The availability of ice resulted in the creation of the home "icebox," typically lined with zinc or tin and adorned outside with wood. By the late 1800s, such iceboxes were standard kitchen appliances. Because the ice would eventually melt, homes had regular visits from ice men who delivered blocks of ice, some as heavy as 60 pounds. In 1927, General Electric introduced the first popular electric refrigerator and by the 1930s, iceboxes were becoming obsolete.

However, you could give this unique antique a second life. With its handsome oak exterior, it would make the most amazing cooler for drinks and adult libations, or, with a little ingenuity, it could be repurposed as a bar, storage unit, or even book shelf. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!