History Daily Saturday Matinee: The Curious History of Your Home
Sep 27, 2025
Dive into the fascinating history of the refrigerator, the home’s unsung hero. Discover how ancient Persians used yakshals to preserve ice in deserts, and explore ice houses from Mesopotamia to Rome. Learn about innovative pioneers like James Harrison and Clarence Birdseye, whose contributions transformed food preservation. Hear how cooling techniques even played a role in President Garfield's treatment. Finally, reflect on the social and environmental impacts of refrigeration, connecting ancient practices to modern-day conveniences.
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Desert Ice Houses
- Ruth Goodman narrates discovering ancient Persian yakshals that stored ice in the desert using clever design and insulation.
- The yakshal used sarouge mortar, straw insulation, and vents to keep ice through summer without power.
Ancient Principles Still Shape Cooling
- Ancient and vernacular cold-storage methods relied on evaporation, insulation, and earth temperatures long before electricity existed.
- These recurring principles carried forward into later refrigeration technologies.
James Harrison’s Eureka Moment
- Ruth Goodman tells James Harrison's story of discovering cooling via evaporating ether and building ice-making machines in Australia.
- Harrison patented a refrigerator in 1860 but struggled commercially despite early industrial adoption.
