HOW FREDERIC TUDOR BROUGHT ICE TO INDIA

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HOW FREDERIC TUDOR BROUGHT ICE TO INDIA

The idea of an overseas ice business before the invention of refrigeration may seem like an impossible feat. But in the early 19th century, a young American man, Frederic Tudor, thought of launching a highly daring entrepreneurial project that involved exporting ice to India.

Ice used to be a luxury item, before the invention of the refrigerator. Image Source: Chemistry World

You would be surprised to find the actual value of that ice you find so easily when you open the door to your refrigerator at home. There was a time when the simple block of ice was considered a luxury item because of its high demand and low availability, particularly in the absence of a refrigeration system.

Although we do not give it enough credit, ice is actually a vital ingredient in our day-to-day lives. From preserving fish and meat and preventing them from going stale to facilitating scientific research in laboratories and hospitals, ice has done wonders to the progress of mankind in many ways.

But all of these would not have been possible without the invention of a commercial refrigeration system. Ice, although can be naturally found in several places, cannot be transported from one place to another without the cold insulation efficiency that refrigerators provide, which prevents the ice from melting.

But here’s the catch. How do you ship off a substance, that melts instantly, to a region which would take at least two weeks to reach? However, it seemed like Tudor thought everything through and left no loopholes in his master plan. He got hold of sawdust from the local mills, which would act as an insulation to the ice and prevent it from melting.

Yet, there was no guarantee. The costs he cut because of the easy availability of ice and sawdust, still could not cover up the expenses and losses he incurred from the shipping of ice, much of which melted way before it reached the destination. Tudor went bankrupt and even went to prison after failing to repay his debts.

But where does India fit in all this? Well, India proved to be the biggest investor in the crazy ice business of Tudor.

Back in Tudor's days, the British empire was ruling the subcontinent and they had a serious problem. They had a huge empire to run in India but the country's climate was anything but desirable to them. The hot tropical climate contrasted sharply with the cold winter landscape of Europe. Hence, when the British heard of the crazy American man who sold ice, they got highly tempted, despite being aware of the risks. In India, ice was found abundantly in the Himalayan region but extracting it was quite time consuming and expensive in terms of labour requirements. So, the British found it much more convenient to rely upon imports.

The first attempt at creating an artificial ice-making refrigerator was made by Alexander Twining in the 1850s, although he could not be entirely successful in his venture. Thus, until the 1860s, ice was available only naturally in extremely cold regions, in the absence of a commercial refrigeration system.

Yet, notwithstanding this obvious limitation, the idea of turning ice into a business commodity had already taken root in the mind of a daring, young gentleman from America, way before Twining came up with the refrigerator prototype.

Frederic Tudor, a 23-year-old Harvard dropout from Boston, New England earned quite an intriguing title in his days. He was hailed as the 'Ice King' for his ambitious business project that involved trading with ice.

The easy availability of natural ice in the lakes of his hometown in New England made Tudor come up with an unconventional, yet futuristic idea: why not transport ice to places with hotter climates and provide relief to the sweating citizens?

The idea was pretty straightforward. He would cut big blocks of ice out of lakes or ponds in New England and ship them off to the hot Caribbean regions like Cuba.

In America, despite his failed ventures, Tudor had already begun to imagine a successful business with British India when he heard about the British needs.

So, in the 1830s, Tudor shipped about 180 tons of ice covered in sawdust to Calcutta, India, the first of many yet to come. Four months and some 16,000 miles of travel resulted in the loss of nearly 80 tons of ice by the time the ship arrived in Calcutta. Yet, the profits he accumulated from the remainder of the supply was highly impressive.

Soon, word of the American ice spread to Bombay, Madras and other parts, creating further demand for the simple block of ice. For the next two decades, ice travelled regularly all the way from America to various parts of India. Being an import item, this commodity was not accessible to the ordinary masses. Yet, for the British as well as elite Indians who could afford it, ice was the perfect counter to the harsh summer heat of India. They could enjoy a chilled beer and other cold drinks way better than before.

Along with ice, Tudor also began to sell apples, oranges or butter packed with ice, which acted as a preservative and kept the items fresh throughout the journey. The American ice became somewhat of an obsession for the British, who would wait eagerly for their shipments. Very soon, Tudor overcame all his debts and became one of the richest businessmen in the whole of America through his ice business!

All this was possible because Tudor did not give up on his dream and innovative idea. As Gavin Weightman, the author of the famous book, ‘The Frozen Water Trade’ (2002), commented,

“From the time he (Tudor) first shipped lake ice to the West Indies in 1806 to the beginnings of the Calcutta trade in the 1830s, he clung to one conviction: people living in tropical climates would pay a good price for ice if they could get it. “

Tudor thought big and beyond the conventional business ideas. He provided what everyone demanded but only a few actually had and it was for this reason that he earned the moniker, ‘Ice King’. There was no one before him who thought of an idea as crazy as the trade of ice and this certainly worked in his favour. The ice business that began with Tudor continues to exist even today, although it is nowhere near profitable as the one that made the great Ice King.