Preliminary identification
Photo reference
3 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a classic early 20th-century domestic icebox featuring a double-door configuration with a top compartment for ice blocks and a lower compartment for food storage. Constructed from sheet metal over an insulated frame, it retains its original script 'Sanitary' metal emblem on the upper door, representing the transition from traditional wood cabinetry to more easily cleaned metal appliances.
Story
In the 1920s, the Sanitary Refrigerator Company revolutionized kitchens by replacing porous, hard-to-clean wooden iceboxes with sleek, hygienic metal cabinets. This very unit stood as a proud symbol of modern health and domestic science in an era before electric refrigeration became standard.
Maker / Origin
The Sanitary Refrigerator Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was a major manufacturer of both wooden and metal iceboxes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They branded their products as 'Sanitary' to capitalize on the growing public awareness of germ theory and food safety.
Condition & Value
The exterior shows significant paint loss, weathering, and surface rust, particularly around the hinges and edges. The interior galvanized lining has some rust staining but appears structurally intact with at least one original wire shelf remaining.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.