Apalachicola Ice Company Sign, Florida Poster

"Apalachicola Ice Company Sign, Florida" by Catherine Sherman. A brick wall bearing an ice company sign is a reminder of an old ice company in Apalachicola, Florida, a town noted for its ties to mechanical cooling. James A. Gorrie, the inventor of mechanical cooling, worked in Apalachicola and lived there until his death. In Apalachicola, Dr. Gorrie is honoured with a square named for him, featuring a monument dedicated to him. Dr. Gorrie (October 3, 1803 – June 29, 1855) was an American physician, scientist, inventor of mechanical cooling, and a humanitarian. On May 6, 1851, Gorrie was granted Patent No. 8080 for a machine to make ice. The original model of this machine and the scientific articles he wrote are at the Smithsonian Institution.