“... it is with great pleasure and satisfaction that we welcome proof of [Lowe's] genius."
Professor Joseph Henry, Smithsonian Institution
Thaddeus Lowe (1831-1913) did not only invent the humble ice-making machine; he also made waves in aeronautics, engineering, and chemistry. In the course of his work on the cooling properties of compressed gases, he became interested in carbon dioxide specifically and, putting his research into practice, developed the "Compression Ice Machine" in 1865.
After the American Civil War, Lowe began extensive research on the properties of gas. Refrigeration is essentially a process whereby heat is removed from an enclosed space and ejected somewhere else. Most systems work by using a chemical, usually gas, to remove the heat. As the gas expands, heat is turned into kinetic energy, cooling the air.
In 1869 Lowe and other investors purchased an old steamship equipped with refrigeration units and began shipping fresh fruit and meat from Texas to New York. The business failed, largely due to the group's lack of shipping knowledge and the public's skepticism about eating meat that had been so long out of the packing house. Despite this setback, refrigeration became massively popular and has revolutionized the way the world preserves food.
