Ice Harvesting on Conesus Lake
Ice Box Refrigeration
If you lived in the mid-19th century to 1930s, the ice harvested in the pictures above most likely would have been delivered to your home by an iceman and placed in your ice box. The ice box is the predecessor to the electric refrigerator. Ice boxes were usually made of wood or porcelain, lined with tin or zinc, as well as packed with materials such as cork, sawdust, straw and seaweed to increase insulation.
A tray or compartment at the top of the box would hold the block of ice, allowing the chilled air near the block to travel into the lower compartments which held food and drinks.
Click the image to see a Rochester Democrat and Chronicle advertisement for ice boxes
