Holiday Shopping Guide--The Economical Refrigerator

Again, this seems perhaps a bit odd for a Christmas present for one's wife...a refrigerator. But notice the little something in hubby's pocket there, so I'm sure it's all good. And just imagine the ease this fancy contraption brought to a housewife, once upon a time.

This, from 1930 Good Housekeeping:

"Why hesitate to suggest to your husband the gift you long for most? It is true economy to own the Refrigerator with the money-saving Monitor Top."

Look at the daughter holding her doll up to "see" the new refrigerator, the wreath on the fridge door, the beautiful kimono on the wife. And I love how the ad says the refrigerator is "Silent as the night before Christmas." This may be seen as a boring, even insulting, gift today, but as the ad says, this baby took over several jobs from the woman of the house, including watching temperatures and foods carefully, dealing with ice (solid and melted), or in many cases, saving steps by not having to go to whatever cold spot (basement, well house, dug out, etc.) where food was stored.

We have so much today, it's hard to appreciate how meaningful something we take so much for granted could be.