Manufacturer
McClary Manufacturing
McClary’s Wooden Icebox
DateAfter 1871
DimensionsOverall: 96 × 58 × 45.8 cm
Credit LineGift of Steve, Tracy, and Bryan Hartwell, St. Catharines, Ontario, 2021
Object number2021.022.001
Label TextThis McClary Iceberg icebox dates from after 1871, the year in which the business became a limited liability company and became known as the McClary Manufacturing Company. By the end of the 1800s, many American households stored their perishable food in an insulated "icebox" that was usually made of wood, lined with tin or zinc, and packed with insulating materials such as flax straw fiber, sawdust, seaweed, cork, mineral wool, or charcoal. There were several storage compartments inside, including the ice compartment, which had a drainage hole. Melted ice water would be collected inside a catch pan or holding tank that would need to be emptied daily. The ice was harvested in winter from snow-packed areas or frozen rivers and lakes and delivered to homes, at first by horse and wagon, and later by motorized truck.
In 1852, John McClary (1829-1921) and his older brother Oliver (ca. 1818-1902) opened J. & O. McClary, a tinsmith shop in London. Over the years, the McClary Manufacturing, Company produced a vast array of high-quality items, including cast iron stoves, copper kettles, and decorative enamelware. The company took advantage of every opportunity to trumpet the quality and range of their products. From match holders to ashtrays to toys, their goods reminded customers of the McClary name and reputation. In 1927, the McClary Manufacturing Company merged with four others to become General Steel Wares. Its London plant closed in the mid-1970s.
NameIcebox
