What It Was, Was a Monitor Top Refrigerator (and, It Will Still Keep Your Beer Cold)

If you had asked me six months ago the question "What was a Monitor Top refrigerator," I would have replied that it was a refrigerator.

I had never heard of one before, but back in October of last year, I read about a house in California that was stacked with old stuff from America's past from the 1920s to 1950s.  One of the things they had was a Monitor Top Refrigerator.

I, of course, knew what a refrigerator was and what the Monitor Turret was.  But, I had never seen one.  I did some research and found out it was one of the first refrigerators Americans were able to buy back in the 1930s and was a huge step up from an ice box.

I saw pictures of them and even have a picture of one in the pictures to the right of this post. But, until today, I had bever seen one.  Now, I have.  Yesterday, I was at Granny's Diner in Johnsburg, Illinois, with a group of buddies from Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg and over in the corner, they had a Monitor top refrigerator.

It was  in perfect shape outside.  I asked the owner about it who said the guy he had bought it from was still using it to keep his beer cold and it still worked after all those years.

I have written about this kitchen appliance in this blog.  Go back to the October 2021 posts if you want to know more.

A Real Trip Back.  --Old B-RunTop