Climate Control: A History of Heating and Cooling
From: BackStory with the American History Guys
Length: 00:54:00
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Piece Description
As people up and down the east coast shiver through one of the coldest winters in recent memory, it’s worth pausing to think about what life was like before the modern era of indoor heating. Well into the 19th century, Americans relied on wood-fueled fireplaces, a technology that’s not only inefficient, but also ineffective at warming people more than a few feet from its flames. Add to that until about 1850, winters were particularly cold, as the Earth slogged through what’s known as the “Little Ice Age.”
In this episode of BackStory, the History Guys look at what happened when stoves became widely available in the middle of the 19th century, and how that technology altered the American “way of life.” They also consider the advent of air conditioning a century later, and explore its far-reaching implications on everything from architecture and leisure to settlement patterns and national politics. Finally, as they trace changing ideals of “comfort” over three centuries of American life, the History Guys ask what lessons history has to offer today as we grapple with the impacts of past energy choices and look towards a more sustainable energy future.
Highlights Include:
- Experts on the history of stoves (Howell Harris) and air-conditioning (Gail Cooper) explain why some Americans fought the advent of new climate control technologies.
- Producer Catherine Moore recounts the story of Frederic Tudor, AKA the Ice King, who succeeded against all odds in creating a global market for ice.
- BackStory listeners call in with their questions and stories about the history of heating and cooling.
Timing and Cues
SENDER: VFH RADIO – CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
RE: "BACKSTORY" RUNDOWN – CLIMATE CONTROL: A HISTORY OF HEATING AND COOLING
SHOW: BACKSTORY WITH THE AMERICAN HISTORY GUYS
HOSTS: BRIAN BALOGH, PETER ONUF, ED AYERS
TIME: 59:00 (w/ news hole, breaks)
PRSS SHOW TITLE: BACKSTORYCLIMATE
BROADCAST WINDOW: EVERGREEN
************************************************************
SHOW RUNDOWN
00:00 – 00:59 BILLBOARD
IC: From VFH Radio in Charlottesville, Virginia, this is Backstory.
OC: First, the news.
01:00 – 05:59 NEWS HOLE
06:00 – 18:59 SEG A
IC: This is Backstory, with us, the American History Guys.
OC: …heating and cooling in America.
6:00 – 12:15 Intro/Cold House
20th century guy Brian Balogh speaks with Dan Filene, a blogger in Portland, Maine who has opted to live without central heat.
12:15 – 18:59 Franklin Stove
18th century guy Peter Onuf explains the importance of the Franklin Stove. Then 19th century guy Ed Ayers plays a clip from his interview with a stove scholar who accuses Franklin of intellectual piracy.
19:00 – 19:59 STATION BREAK 1 (MUSIC BED)
20:00 – 38:59 SEG B
IC: This is Backstory, the show that turns to history…
OC: More Backstory, coming up in a minute.
20:00 – 24:43 Listener Call
The History Guys field a listener question about the connections between climate control technology and the birth of the American middle class.
24:43 – 30:17 The Stove Revolution
19th century guy Ed Ayers speaks with historian Howell Harris about the “stove revolution” of the mid-19th century.
30:17 – 34:03 The Invention of Comfort
The History Guys discuss the origins of the concept of indoor “comfort” in America.
34:03 – 38:59 The Ice King
BackStory producer Catherine Moore tells the story of Frederic Tudor, AKA the Ice King, the man who became a millionaire by bringing ice cream to the tropics.
39:00 – 39:59 STATION BREAK 2 (MUSIC BED)
40:00 – 59:00 SEG C
IC: This is Backstory, the show that explores the connections
OC: …at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
40:00 – 44:50 Listener Call
The History Guys field a listener question about how air conditioning changed urban architecture.
44:50 – 50:42 The Great Escape/”Man-Made Weather”
20th century guy Brian Balogh describes one of the earliest uses of air conditioning, and speaks with a man who worked as an usher in 1930s movie theaters before A/C.
50:42 – 57:02 “Man-Made Weather”
20th century guy Brian Balogh interviews historian Gail Cooper about some of the early struggles over air conditioning in public buildings, and the History Guys discuss its far-reaching demographic implications.
57:02 – 58:59 PRODUCTION/FUNDING CREDITS
Contact: Producer, Tony Field (434) 924-8922, tfield@virginia.edu
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