In order to cool food, ice cutters had to get the ice from nature
Before there were any types of reliable refrigeration or freeing methods, people used ice to preserve their food. So there were men who had to gather the ice straight from nature. These people were called ice cutters or “icemen.” They collected the ice that surfaced from rivers and lakes, cut it, and sold it.
Ice cutters often used hand saws or horse-drawn devices to cut through the ice. The Disney film Frozen portrays how these people worked. The movie’s first scene is a pretty accurate depiction of how they gathered, cut, and transported ice. Doesn’t sound like such a cool job.