Ice!

By Laurence Pringle

Discover the rise of the ice industry and its impact on daily life.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 66 ratings

80 pages· 7,774 words· Est. 1 hour read

$17.95Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Journey back to the 1800s when ice was a luxury. Explore how innovative minds transformed ice harvesting into a booming industry, changing how people lived. From Rockland Lake's icy bounty to the bustling streets awaiting the ice man's delivery, uncover the secrets behind the frozen revolution. What challenges did they face, and how did they overcome them to keep the world cool? Dive into this captivating history and see how a simple block of ice reshaped society.

From the publisher

Think of a world without cold drinks, ice cream, and frozen foods. Believe it or not, such a world DID exist! Learn all about this fascinating history in this nonfiction book. In the early 1800s, people began to harvest ice, store it in ways that limited melting, and transport it to homes and businesses. Eventually, almost everyone had an icebox, and a huge, vital ice business grew. In this riveting book, acclaimed writer Laurence Pringle describes the key inventions and ideas that helped the ice business flourish. He points to the many sources of ice throughout the East and Midwest and spotlights Rockland Lake, “the icebox of New York City,” to offer a close-up look at the ice business in action. Pringle worked closely with experts and relied on primary documents, including archival photographs, postcards, prints, and drawings, to capture the times when everyone waited for the ice man and his wagon to deliver those precious blocks of ice.

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