Early 20th Century Coal-Heated Automobile Foot Warmer Industrial Nature Cabinets Signs like this were used

Signs like this were used to draw customers to specialized mechanical services as automotive A/C units became increasingly common in mid-century America

The company was the most long-lived manufacturing company in Illinois when it closed its doors in 1978

giving the cabinet a timeworn character that speaks to its working past

It mimics the design down to the metal straps that would have held it together

The interior dimensions of each of the drawers are 5"W x 16"D x 3"H

Early 20th Century Coal-Heated Automobile Foot Warmer Industrial Nature Cabinets Signs like this were usedc. 1900s 1910s; Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. Chicago, IL Antique coal burning automobile foot warmer housed in a sloped, carpeted tin case with cast iron ends and vented draft door. The hinged iron compartment allowed hot coals to be placed inside, radiating heat upward through the carpeted top to warm passengers' feet during cold weather travel in early automobiles, carriages, or sleighs. This example retains its textured green carpet covering,