Flashback Friday: Ice, Ice, Baby At Emmanuel House — Circa 1910

As our heat wave winds down, we continue to give thanks to modern technologies such as air conditioning and refrigerator freezers. Can you imagine what it would have been like to not have these things? How would we keep food from spoiling and keep ourselves from collapsing?

Well, if you’ve read any historical fiction, you’d know: ice.

The ice cart seen here is from the early 20th century — specifically, 1910 — and was taken as it made a delivery to the Emmanuel House (131 Steuben Street, across from Steuben Playground, off of Flushing Avenue).

According to the Brooklyn Museum, in whose Lantern Slide Collection this photo is archived, the wagon driver’s name is Casper and he was probably a pretty popular guy back then! We know this little historical tidbit because the back of the photo has a handwritten note: “Casper, Iceman.”