REFRIGERATION

 

See Also: ICE CREAM; ITALIAN FOOD Ticinese Restaurants, Carlo Gatti; RAILWAYS Industrial Policy

Initially, ice was used to chill drinks rather than keep large amounts of food chilled

In the 1870s ammonia-powered refrigeration was used in breweries and steam ships.

In 1920s refrigerators began to become a domestic appliance. Virginia and Leonard Woolf's The Hogarth Press published Vita Sackville-West's novel The Edwardians (1930). The book proved to be a bestseller. The couple decided to use their profit to buy a Frigidaire. At the time, refrigerators were still very expensive.

Consumers were resistant to the idea of refrigerating food. Many thought it was wrong to prolong the life of food.

Britain and the United States embraced refrigeration as a means of more securely feeding the populations of their great cities. France, which did not have the same degree of urbanisation, was less inclined to do so. As a result, her food practices retained a closer proximity to traditional practices.

Refrigeration did for the English aristocracy's rent rolls what he guillotine had done for the French ones heads.

Location: Hogarth House, 34 Paradise Road, Richmond, TW9 1SE.

 

Jeremy Bentham

The social theorist Jeremy Bentham (d.1832) developed an idea for a 'frigidarium' that would preserve food. He sought to develop the idea with Peter Roget. However, the latter found that the former was too preoccupied with other projects for there to be any likelihood of progress being made with the scheme. Therefore, he withdrew. Bentham never pursued the matter any further.

Location: The Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ. The site had been 19 York Street. (blue, brown)

 

Ice Houses

The first ice houses in Britain were built in the middle of 17thC. A dozen or so survive across London. Perhaps the most unexpected one is to be found in Woodlands Park to the south of Acton's High Street. The Holland House one is now a small gallery.

Location: 239-241, High Street, Acton, W3 9BY. The alleyway between them leads to the park.

Ilchester Place, W8 6LU (red, purple)

Website: www.rbkc.gov.uk/contactsdirectory/az.aspx?orgid=778

 

Ice Storage

Carlo Gatti was a Swiss Italian ice merchant. He popularised ice cream in London. This led to him developing a business that imported ice from Norway.

The London Canal Museum is in an old ice merchant's storage facility.

Location: 12-13 New Wharf Road, N1 9RT (purple, orange)

Website: www.canalmuseum.org.uk

 

Self

In 1991 the art collector Charles Saatchi bought Marc Quinn's Self, a sculpture that consisted of a cast of the artist's head that had been made with Quinn s own frozen blood. Saatchi was believed to have paid £13,000 for the work.

In 2002 there was a report that builders working at Saatchi's Eaton Square home had accidentally turned off the freezer in which Self was stored and that it had melted. Saatchi and White Cube, the gallery that represented Quinn, both declined to comment upon the matter.1

Location: 77 Eaton Square, SW1W 9AW (blue, grey)

See Also: THE GAIA GUY; GALLERIES The Saatchi Gallery

1. Three years later it was reported that Self had been sold to an American collector for £1.5m.

 

Wenham Pond Ice

Location: 140 Strand, WC2R 1HH (orange, blue)

Waterloo Road, SE1 8XR. The Wenham Ice Company leased five arches under the road as it rose to meet the Surrey end of Waterloo Bridge.

David Backhouse 2024