The History of Cooling Systems
Producing Cooling Systems
Cooling technology has historically assisted the production of cooling itself. In the early 1900s, the introduction of air conditioning to factories in the United States enabled manufacturing within controlled environments rather than season-dependent conditions. By controlling heat or humidity in factory settings, products could be manufactured more consistently and efficiently. Air conditioning was important to the war effort during World War II. Although it is unclear to us whether Canada used air conditioning in World War II, Canada’s success in the mass production of war materials suggests that it may have been used. Air conditioning was used for cooling factories, which had little ventilation and operated ceaselessly, and storing ships. Thus, the production of air conditioning equipment for personal comfort came to a pause in 1942. In the following years of the war, it was difficult to repair and acquire replacement parts for air conditioning for personal comfort. As a result of these production restrictions, the use of electric fans became widespread.The Social Context
While cooling technology has affected the production of fans, looking at its history also reveals the social context of the Torcan fan. The need for cooling has existed throughout history, yet one of the first ventilation systems to cool air for comfort in North American society emerged as a result of overheating within theatres. Although the exact details of how this ventilation system ran is unknown, it was achieved through the use of ice. Later versions provided ventilation through fans, which as a result, people no longer perceived theatres as places of physical discomfort. Like theatres during this time period, there were other places that were not built or managed in a way that could deal with extreme heat, including factories and churches. Thus, the introduction of cooling systems and its further advancements continued to shift people’s expectations of comfort and cooling.These evolving cooling systems and expectations also garnered different responses from the public. The first tabletop fans invented by Schuyler Wheeler in 1882 lacked safety, but were well received by those who had the money and access to electric power. Its portrayal in the media between the 1880s and 1900s perhaps played a role in this, as they were marketed to be “ideal for sickrooms”, be able to lower the temperature rapidly, and create a “cold wave” when consumers entered the room, like “going into a cool grove”. It became an appliance of comfort and convenience people had not experienced before.
On the other hand, air conditioning took some time to be accepted and adapted into buildings. In 1902, the first modern air-conditioning system was invented by Willis Carrier and in 1931, the first room air conditioner that would set on window ledges was invented by H. H. Schultz and J. Q. Sherman. Air conditioning's popularity rose in the 1950s with the popularity of television, built on the idea that televisions supply entertainment while air conditioning provides comfort for households. Especially with the heat produced by televisions, advertisements highlighted the need for cooling, boosting its sales. Being produced in the 1950s, the Torcan fan likely saw the initial transition from electric fans to air conditioners, where both were still relatively popular.
