Snow for Sale!

Bring out your snow, bring out your snow!

Do you have snow where you are?
Anne here, wondering if anyone has snow for sale. Not just because it's particularly hot downunder where I am (it's summer here, remember) but because in the past people really did sell snow.

Snow for sale? 
That's right, in the past it was a business. Back in the 16th century, the snow trade in Europe was a very lucrative enterprise, so lucrative, in fact that people fought over snow rights. There were even bandits who tried to steal snow — and often succeeded. Sound crazy?

It's been going on for centuries
Before the advent of mechanical refrigeration, naturally forming ice and snow was the only source of cooling material. We tend to think iced drinks is a modern invention, but snow and ice has been gathered, transported and sold for the cooling of drinks and desserts for centuries.

The Chinese were harvesting and storing winter ice for the hot summer months more than a thousand years before Christ. The Ancient Greeks and Romance picked up the habit of using ice to cool their drinks from the Middle East and learned from them too the methods of  harvesting and storing ice and snow for long periods. According to Pericles, snow was routinely sold in the markets of Athens from the 5th century BC, and not only to the rich. (pic right: http://pictures.traveladventures.org/images/monte-rosa-skiing02)

Alexander the Great used to store great quantities of snow in pits. The kings of Egypt had snow shipped from the mountains of Lebanon to Cairo. That's a long way! Across Russia, throughout Europe and all around the Mediterranean people collected snow and ice from the mountains in winter and stored it underground, in caves, pits and specially constructed ice houses.

At first it took place on a small scale — people would collect ice from a frozen pond and store it in their ice cellar or ice pit, packed in straw and buried under the earth to maintain the cool temperature. In places like Rome, where ice rarely occurred, any brief snowfall was quickly gathered up and the snow carried to the ice houses.

Some of these ice houses were just large, deep pits, lined at the base with branches and twigs for drainage, then straw, and then the ice or snow. If snow was all that was available, they beat it down with paddles, making it as dense and hard as possible. That was then covered with more twigs and branches and straw, and finally earth. 

Snow compressed in this manner was colder and lasted longer than ice taken from ponds, but it wasn't as clean. This led to various inventions — the wine decanter with a separate compartment for snow or ice, a system where a slender container of clean water was immersed in snow or ice until the water froze and of course, the simplest of all, the ice bucket that is still in use today. Or if you were a Regency gentleman intending on a large quantity of iced wine, perhaps this large wooden zinc-lined wine cooler would be more your style.

As the use of snow grew and spread beyond the needs of just the wealthy, the collection and storage of snow became not just a winter harvest, but the basis for a substantial year round business. Businessmen in 16th century Italy jockeyed for the right to control the snow trade. Exclusive rights (the snow concession) to provide snow from certain areas and for certain cities were given (no doubt as a result of a handsome bribe) to particular men. 

Stealing Snow!
And so we have the rise not only of snow collectors but snow bandits!
Complaints flew, accusations and counter accusations of people illegally collecting snow, illegally selling snow, and even bandits who held up mule trains carrying loads of snow and made off with the snow (and the mules.)

The more snow and ice was used, the more profitable a business it was, and the more uses were found for it — the creation of ice cream and sorbets (from the Turkish sherbets) iced soups, iced desserts of all kinds, not to mention the increased preservation of perishable foodstuffs and the use of ice as an aid to health.

Ice houses became more sophisticated constructions made of brick and stone and scientific experiments were made into the most efficient method of storing snow and ice, and of making ice. The pic here is of the 18th century ice house at Norton Priory, near Runcorn, Cheshire, England.

I won't go into the making of ice creams — Wench Joanna did a wonderful post on that last year — but in the mid 1800s on they started using ice and even created ice pillars as an early form of air conditioning for hot summer ballrooms. This, of course, was pioneered in the USA, where they had ample supply of ice, and hot, hot summers but there are also reports of British ballrooms cooling hot guests with ice pillars. 

It's a fascinating subject and I've barely touched on it. For further information about the history of the use of snow and ice, I recommend Elizabeth David's wonderful book Harvest of the Cold Month. If you want a North American slant, here's this site which shows the ice harvest of historic Howell's farm.

So do you have snow? Masses of snow? Are you fed up with it? Wish you could gather it up and sell it?  (Some hot people on this side of the globe might even buy some.)  Or do you use it in some way already? I'd love to hear about your experience with snow.

And if you don't get snow, tell me what kind of weather you've been experiencing in recent weeks — there's been a lot of weird weather around, plus I just enjoy hearing about the world-wide-wenchly-web— and I'll send a copy of my new book to someone who leaves a comment.

Anne here again, adding a postscript: on the news last night I heard of an amazing modern-day parallel —police arrested thieves who had stolen 5 tonnes of ice that they hacked from a fast disappearing glacier. Apparently glacier ice is popular in Chile served in drinks on fancy bars and restaurants. Amazing, eh? It still goes on.

Comments

[Tin Ong]

It's been cool and almost December-y cold in the early mornings and scorching summer-y hot from 10 onwards.

Loved the images of containers for snow. ^_^

[Anne Gracie]

I love that kind of weather -- cold at night and hot during the day. I'm guessing you're in the southern hemisphere or the tropics.

[Tracey Devlyn]

Loved this post, Anne! Snow bandits, who knew? LOL

I live in the Chicago area and we have experienced a really mild--I'm mean REALLY mild--winter this year. Not that I'm complaining. If our winter weather was like this every year, I'd be a happy camper.

[Hvitveis]

My village in Norway grew rich on timber and ice, but that would be ice blocks cut out from inland lakes for ships that would form their own forest of masts out in the fjord. Then they would be exported to england, france, netherlands etc to use as food preservation. This enterprise was owned by a Mr Parr, who paid a little something to farmers inland to cut out 200 kg iceblocks and then they would get them down to icehouses in the harbour with sleds and horses. From there he would stuff the ships (his own) and have them sail out. http://www.verneforeningen.no/drobakhistorie.php
It is a link to the conservation society, they have some nice photos..

[Anne Gracie]

Tracey, I just loved the idea when i first read about the snow bandits. I had this instant benny hill kind of image of all these evil looking guys running off with an armful of... snow! LOL.

And I'm very glad you're having mild winter. It's something to be grateful for, I know. I'm keen to visit Chicago -- I planned it last year, but had to come home early, so only got as far as the airport.

[Anne Gracie]

Hvitveis, thanks so much -- this is so interesting. I suppose when they learned mechanical ways of making ice this whole vibrant local industry died. it was something I never thought about until I was reading the Elizabeth David book.
Thank you.

[Theresa N]

It's been warmer that usual here. No snow but that's not unusal for us here in the South we seldom see any but we're always hoping for some.

[Cate S]

Middle Indiana has been really mild.. will be up to 50 today, but snow is predicted for the game on Sunday -- but not much..

[Hvitveis]

The ice trade died out at the end of the century, and in the case of my village it coincided with the ending of the sail-ship erea as well: It used to be a winter port for Christiania, since the fjord would freeze, but the new steam ships had enough power to break the ice and keep it open through the winter in to the capital.

[Alison]

I love snow! - but haven't seen any for a long time. I should, as an adult, be thinking more about supply chain breakdown, or transportation problems, but when those little flakes drift down from the sky, I just think 'Yay!'.

[email protected]

[annie]

Where I used to live in the nothern clime we had ffet of snow every winter. Cold, blizzards and accumulation that I thought would never end. Moved away to the Southwest where the dun shines daily and rarely snows. A big change and easier.

[Quilt Lady]

The weather has been weird here this year! The sun is shinning right now and its close to 50. We haven't had much snow and I really don't want any, you can keep it. I have even been able to get out and take a few walks lately and thats very unusual for us.

[Laura Jordan]

We have had very warm weather this winter! I live about an hour outside of the Washington D.C. area. The neighborhood children were dressed in short sleeves this weekend. We usually have three or four inches of snow by this time of year. Unfortunately, we have only had one minor flurry. I love winter: hot chocolate, snuggling under a blanket with a good book and building snowmen with my children. I hope the weather gets colder soon. I am not ready for Spring just yet!

[Susan/DC]

I grew up in central Arizona, a very hot, very dry part of the US. In Tucson we would get occasional snow but it was very occasional and very light. When I lived in Phoenix it snowed exactly once and was gone by noon. I think my love of snow and winter came from living in a place where they were so rare. I had a lifetime's worth of heat growing up and still, even after all these years on the east coast, view snow as a treat -- as long as I don't have to drive in it.

[Janga]

Another fascinating post, Anne. I think The Snow Bandits would make a great title--lots of possibilities there.

January weather in the Deep South has been weird--lots of tornado watches, the kind of weather we expect scattered through the spring. But today's temp is in the mid-60s with bright sunshine, my kind of weather.

My sister and I were talking about snow this morning. It's rare here, but we usually get a day or two with a dusting at least. It's not too late. More than once, we've had several inches in March after the daffodils had burst into bloom. I confess I'm always ready for spring. Winter has too many gray days. I love the progression of springtime, and I watch eagerly for the first daffodils and then the thrift and Bradford pears in bloom and finally all the glory of the azaleas, dogwood, and wisteria. Their beauty lifts my spirits and leaves me feeling decades younger, ready for dancing in the woodland and dreaming in the garden.

[Anne Gracie]

Theresa and Cate, sounds like you're both having a mild winter as well. A pleasant change from last year by the sounds of it.

Hvitveis from the sounds of things, your village was in for tough times at the turn of the century, with the loss of timber sales for ships and ice. I hope it's thriving now.

[Anne Gracie]

Alison, that's much how I look at snow. Australians are absurdly romantic about snow, mainly because it hardly ever snows where anyone lives — only in the mountains — so I almost never think of any problems associated with it unless I hear the word blizzard.

I have a good friend in the mid west who I often talk to on the phone and sometimes she'll say "It's snowing" and I'll say, "Oh, how lovely" then there will be a pause and she'll come back with a dry, "you think?" and then go on to inform me that her car is buried, her dogs can't go out, etc etc. LOL

[Anne Gracie]

Annie, much as I love the idea of snow, I think I'd prefer the southwestern climate, too. in fact, that's probably similar to what we have in my corner of the world — it's known as a Mediterranean climate — warm (to hot!) summers and mild winters.

My city (Melbourne) is known and dissed for its changeable weather but I love it. Two days ago we were sweltering in hot weather, over a hundred degrees, and now the cool change has come through and it's cool and damp and all the birds are tweeting happily.

[Anne Gracie]

Quilt Lady and Laura, it seems the jury is out on whether this mild winter is a good thing or not. I love that you can still go for walks, but I do understand the feeling that the rhythm of the year is "out."

Laura I loved your little word portrait of snuggling down with hot chocolate and a good book, and building snowmen with your children.

[Anne Gracie]

Susan/DC I can appreciate that love of snow remaining — I'm sure if I lived in the colder corners of the US I'd still never lose that excitement of the idea of snow either. There's something magical and beautiful about it.

I still remember the day it snowed in Melbourne when I was a teenager. We'd only been living here a few months, and I was in a cinema and we came out after the movie and everyone in the street was excited, and to our dismay we found it had snowed and we missed it! All that remained was a bit of grey slush in the gutters.

[Anne Gracie]

Janga thank you for that lovely word portrait or Spring. One of the things I've always wanted to do was to experience spring and autumn in the USA. Our climate and native vegetation doesn't have big changes of seasons — the indigenous people here say there are 6 seasons and the changes are very subtle. The flowers that most people associate with spring are all exotic species — fruit trees in blossom, spring bulbs, azaleas, etc so they mostly occur in domestic gardens and cities, not the bush. And our native vegetation are ever green and don't change color in autumn.

i still remember the magic of Spring when I was a child, the year we lived in Scotland. I'd loved crunching about in the big snowy garden of the house we lived in, and when spring came and sticks that had been frozen for months started to put out tender green shoots and unfurl leaves and even flowers, I could hardly believe it. It felt like a miracle. I think it was my own, personal Secret Garden moment.

[Vonnie]

Excellent post, Anne. It's great to read about things you'd never thought deeply about. Knew about the English ice-houses of course but the idea of transporting snow and ice from the Lebanon to Cairo is amazing.

Mind you, it's 30 degrees here today and a little snow might be welcome.

[Dee]

I, too, am stuck in a mild winter. Pity, as I love snow and the cold weather. Nothing like the blue skies, crisp & invigorating air, and the sun glancing off the snow to make you feel alive. Plus, if we have to have winter and less daylight, my SAD is much happier with the bright light that comes with snow. And, then there's the skiing, snow shoeing (or boarding for those skilled) and carriage rides. The frosty patterns on the windows. And, the absolute deep comfort of a hearth fire and hot chocolate/toddy while listening to snow fall outside.

[LouisaCornell]

This is fascinating, Anne! I had no idea this sort of thing had been going on so long! I am an ice fanatic. If I drink iced tea or iced drinks of anything they have to be packed with ice.

The weather here is unseasonably warm for January. The danger there is that we tend to get tornadoes when the weather is like this.

The three years I lived in England and the three years I lived in Germany were wonderful for me as I got lots of snow. I do love it, or I did then. I think my blood may be thinner now as I prefer not to be cold!

We do get snow here in Alabama on occasion. The last time we had a big snow storm was in 1993. The storm came up suddenly and dumped several feet of snow on us overnight. I ended up riding my horse to town to buy groceries because my car wouldn't make it. Got quite a few odd looks, but then again, my car wasn't sliding all over the road due to my incompetence at driving on snow slick roads!

[Anne Gracie]

Vonnie, yes, that fact blew me away, too. I think of ice and icehouses as being a relatively cool climate thing, but the middle east led the way in making icecream and iced drinks.

As for your 30 degrees, for our US readers, that's celsius, which means it's in the 90's Fahrenheit. See, I knew there would be some people interested in buying snow. ;)

[Marie]

I am on the east coast of the US and it's warmed up a bit here in the last week. I am not complaining though because I hate winter!
Thank you for the interesting post, I have wondered how far back people were using ice to cool drinks, food and themselves off. An ice pillar at a dance sounds like a really good idea, I can just see a club here trying that out one day.

[Anne Gracie]

Dee, what a lovely word picture of what it's like in a snowy winter. When I was a little girl loving in the inland, we never got snow, but the frosts were amazing. I knew Jack Frost was real because every morning I'd find his beautiful ice paintings on the window.

Right now a friend of mine in North Eastern Australia has had no sun for 3 weeks -- it's all misty drizzle and gloom and high humidity, so I really appreciate what you mean by needing the bright light reflected from snow to offset the S.A.D. Though I'm not sure my friend is S.A.D. as much as S.O.G.G.Y. ;)

[Anne Gracie]

Louisa, I love iced drinks, too. I guess a winter tornado would be pretty horrific. Though any tornado is bad, I suppose.

I was in Germany and Switzerland in a snowy December once and it was magic, so I understand.

And I loved your story of riding your horse into town. It's the kind of thing I can imagine our webmistress Sherrie doing, too. And possibly Louis.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Marie, I loved the ice pillar idea, too. It almost tempts me to write a Victorian era book, just so I can use it. ;)

[bn100]

It's very nice and sunny here.

[Minna]

Yes, we have plenty of snow and right now it's very cold, too.

[Maureen]

I live in the Northeast, not far from Howell's Farm, and they'll be having trouble harvesting ice this year since it has been a warm winter so far. This makes me happy but your post was very interesting since I had never really thought of snow or ice as worth money.

[Nicola Cornick]

What a fabulous post, Anne. Love the snow bandits! Ashdown had an ice house. One of the things that puzzles me about several ice houses I've seen is how far they are from teh main house. If they cut and moved the blocks in hot weather they would already be melting by the time they got to the kitchens!

[Betty Hamilton]

I remember snow...as a child in Penna. My bedroom was on the 3rd floor of an old Victorian and I could look down at the street lights and see the snow falling through the glow of the street light. I remember one specific snowy day where the snow drifted up the side of my neighbors house reaching the second floor window. Oh, what fun we all had playing in that snow. We made snow ice cream...makeing sure it was pure white (no yellow streaks from the neighborhood dogs....LOL)
I was 18 and engaged to be married when my family, including 6 of my siblings, moved to Sunny South Florida. I have only seen snow once since then...a blizzard in Penna... the year my brother-in-law returned from Viet Nam (1968).
I love my snow memories.... but I love living in Sunny South Florida a bit more. AND... I loved your blog about ice and snow. Thank you.

[Linda Banche]

Here in the Northeast US, we're having a very mild winter. Very little snow so far, and tomorrow, it's going into the 50'sF.

Last winter was a different matter. The snow started in January and didn't stop until March. The snow piles at the side of our driveway were taller than my 6 foot husband. When you drove, you couldn't see around corners for the snow piles in the way. My husband had to chop the ice off the roof so the roof wouldn't cave in.

That said, we don't often get winters like that one. But there's still a lot of winter left, and, for all we know, we may get a blizzard next week.

[Carol Challis]

Hi Anne
I've recall hearing on a radio station ages ago that Melbourne was famous in the 1800s for a cocktail that included ice. Apparently ice was cut from frozen lakes in the US and shipped down. Drinking iced cocktails was a way of displaying your wealth. I'd love to know the recipe!

[Ellie]

I was made for sunshine, heat and soothing warmth. Even though I grew up and lived in the northern Hemisphere practically all of my life, it was extremely unpleasant to hve to deal with. Driving was treacherous, walking to and from school backwards in blizzards each winter, snowbanks as high as buildings, and freezing for 5 months was uncomfortable. Snow, ice and winds were a constant. Moving away was easy and even though it was later on in life, better late than never.

[Anne Gracie]

Maureen, thanks for that. I'm sorry to hear Howell's farm aren't harvesting much ice at the moment. I'm not sure whether to wish them a good cold snap, or whether that will result in a bunch of people having a chilly snap at me . ;)

Thanks, Nicola. I don't know why ice houses would be so far from the main house. Maybe because in England they were relatively late developments, and because they weren't all that attractive. In parts of Europe I know people had ice cellars under their houses, so it was just a matter of popping down stairs.

[Anne Gracie]

Betty, what a lovely, descriptive comment. When I was in London a few years back it snowed a little -- not even enough to turn the pavement white, but I was thrilled anyway to wake up and look out and see snow flakes drifting past my window.

I suspect after you've lived in a warm climate for a while, it's hard to return to snow and ice.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Linda, I remember some of the wenchly photos that were shared around last winter -- amazing snowfalls and disappearing cars. And you're right -- there's still plenty of time for snow -- let's hope not a blizzard, though.

[Anne Gracie]

Carol, how interesting. I didn't know Melbourne was famous for any icy cocktail, though in the 1880's it was a very dashing and prosperous city, and considered extremely modern and trend-setting — it was called "Marvellous Melbourne."

I can see I'm going to have to investigate this further. Investigating cocktails... it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. :)

[Anne Gracie]

Ellie, I'm so glad you found your way to a warmer climate. You paint a vivid picture of those cold winters — I love the image of schoolkids walking backwards to school. Thanks.

I know just how you feel, only the reverse. I was made for cold, and though I'm fine in dry heat, humid head wilts me dreadfully, so I doubt I could ever live in the tropics.

[LilMissMolly]

It's been beautiful in Ohio the past few days. In the 60's, which is 20 degrees warmer than usual.

[Artemisia]

Million dollar weather here in Gulfport FL. Backyard citrus is in. Strawberry Festival next month.

[Artemisia]

Has anybody here ever read The Ice House by Minette Walters? Or seen the BBC version? The ice house or a root celler was dug into a rise or hill for the natural insulation. In an area of my city where a whole neighborhood was demolished for a road, you could see the remains of the root cellars in the hillsides. Forsythia running wild.

[Anne Gracie]

LilMissMolly, I'm glad you're having such pleasant weather. I've been watching the news of the terrible blizzards in Europe — just shocking. Stay safe and warm, all our friends in Europe.

Artemisia, love the sound of your citrus and strawberry festivals. We've got gorgeous summer fruit at the moment - peaches and cherries and more.

I loved Minette Walter's Ice House -- I really like all her books, actually. Did you ever see the TV version they made of it with a young Daniel Craig as the policeman? I noticed him then and made a note of his name because I knew he was going to get more and more famous. And gorgeous.

i do remember once reading a Regency where the heroine went down to the root cellar — in a country where they might have had ice houses and cellars, but not, as far as I know, ever called anything a root cellar. It's a very American term, I suspect.