Old Stoves are Hot!: A history of antique cooking stoves

Old Stoves are Hot! is an informative and fascinating history of American cooking stoves from about 1865 to 1955. In addition to presenting a well researched historical survey of the development of cooking stoves, the book is full of interesting vintage advertsing images along with pictures from stove company brochures. Topics include gasoline vapor stoves, oil stoves, electric stoves, wood burning stoves, gas ranges (including the 1950s classics) and much more! Other chapters include information on the use of manufactured gas as a fuel during the "gas light" era and the establishment of natural gas as a fuel for cooking. There is also a brief chapter on the creation of planned obsolescence as a tool for increasing the sales of manufactured goods. Another chapter discusses the changing role of women in the household as a result of the industrial revolution and the declining availability of domestic help. The book also includes a resource guide for the buying and selling of antique stoves and potential sources for replacement parts. The pictures in the book are a delight to "thumb thru" and the text, while very informative, is enjoyable to read.