Prior to the introduction of home refrigerators in 1916, ice was commonly used to keep food fresh. The Jamaica Pond Ice Company delivered ice to residences for use in iceboxes that were wood chests lined with zinc. This photograph shows two delivery men using ice tongs to hold blocks of ice cut to the proper size to fit into iceboxes. Iceboxes didn't disappear from U.S. homes entirely until after World War II when mass production made refrigerators affordable for most families. Photograph courtesy of the Boston Public Library.
