Ice was not produced, but harvested.
Since ancient times, people have used ice to preserve food, obtaining it from glaciers in mountainous areas or cutting it during winter from frozen rivers and lakes in flat regions. Ice blocks were placed in insulated structures, such as cellars, where food was stored during hot summer months.
The first documented artificial ice production occurred in 1756, thanks to Scottish chemist William Cullen. He evacuated air from a vessel containing diethyl ether and subjected it to boiling. When the evaporating ether condensed in another vessel, it absorbed heat from the surrounding environment, leading to the formation of ice.
