Artifact of the Month – April 2021
Bob Harris – Collections and Exhibits Volunteer

ICE CHIPPER
SHS1986.8.6  Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edward Ryan

A mystery no more! This mystery object has been a contender for quite a while but finally made its way to the top of the list. No, it’s not a funky fork – it’s an ice chipper! Today, we have ice trays in freezers or automatic ice dispensers on our refrigerator, but that wasn’t always the case!

The love and novelty of ice go back a long time. Natural ice harvesting began in Sumer in 1775 BC when an elaborate ice house was built by King Zimri-lim. The Chinese were using ice or blocks of hardened snow around 1000 BC. Around 500 BC, the Egyptian and Indian cultures began using rapid evaporation to cool water and create ice at night.

In the United States, commercial ice harvesting was a large industry from the early 1800s until the 1930s. In fact, in the late 1880s, natural ice was second only to cotton in export value. Most of the ice consumed in cities and towns was harvested from frozen lakes and rivers. Starting in about 1840, most homes had an icebox that typically held ten to twenty-pound blocks of ice with large models built to hold fifty pounds. Ice chippers were popular utensils. They were used to split large blocks of ice to fit into the icebox ice tray, to chip the ice into chunks, and to shave ice for use in drinks and ice cream makers. Some ice chippers had many teeth like the one on exhibit, and some have only one. These are called ice picks.

The ice chipper on exhibit belonged to the Bass family of Montgomery Creek. It was made around 1900, but we’re not sure by who. Many ice chippers have a maker’s mark, model number, or patent stamped on them, but this one does not. It consists of a metal body that is inserted into a lathe-turned wooden handle and held together by a metal end cap attached with a screw. It was built to withstand multiple forceful strikes. That’s a handy ice cracker!

What is your favorite cold refreshment to eat or drink with ice? Are you able to access and enjoy ice year-round?

To learn more about this artifact, visit the Artifact of the Month exhibit inside the Museum entrance at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. You can also click the link below for the Artifact of the Month webpage for more information on the exhibit and past blogs.