The “mystery” object in the photo: a charcoal box iron Full article

had to complete demanding work without electricity.

The result was both ingenious and hazardous.

A Quiet Step Toward the Modern Home

The charcoal iron did not look like a modern appliance, yet it helped establish the basic idea of one.

It combined the source of power and the working surface inside a single portable object.

Later technologies kept that principle continue reading …