Your 1952 GE Refrigerator: A Look Back in Time

November 19, 2010

Did you know you could store 70 pounds of frozen food in a 1952 GE refrigerator?

Well, neither did we — until we pulled this gem of an ad from the vault:

Think of all the Thanksgiving leftovers this couple was able to stack up.

Ads aren’t a full minute long anymore, commercial actors no longer stare down the camera, and nowadays the advertising message is a lot more… shall we say, subtle? But while the 1950s buyer couldn’t imagine owning a vegetable crisper — let alone using the interactive, mobile phone web app for appliances just launched — the desirable features in a refrigerator haven’t changed all that much in the last six decades: door storage, a separate freezer, individual storage compartments, and no frost.

Though, if you do Thanksgiving right, you shouldn’t need anything close to the 1952-level of space for leftovers.

* Watch more GE ads from the 1950s featuring Ronald Reagan and “Mr. Wizard” Don Herbert
* See how Steven Spielbert, Kurt Vonnegut & Alice from “The Brady Bunch” are connected to GE
* Learn more about the new mobile app that the (modern) GE fridge team unveiled for Black Friday


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  • Paul Dyall

    Here is a link to a recent news paper artical, in regards to a 1927 General Electric Refigerator that is still running and being used.

    http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad-application/in-black-and-white-the-farleys-are-our-frosty-fridge-finest/story-fn6bn9st-1225953871769

  • Yldefonso Araque Vivas

    Fabuloso guardar todos esos archivos que recuerdan como ha ido evolucionado la tecnología de los refrigeradores para el bien del ser humano y del ecosistema. Lo felicito nuevamente por su labor y le solicito si es tan amable me ayude a conseguir el Manual de Uso y donde se especifican las partes del Refrigerador General Electric TFT20JABWW. Gracias por su tiempo Saludos

  • Jowana

    I have a GE two-door refrigerator-food freezer combination with turn-out shelves. Model LH-121L, can you tell me what year this was made. It works great and we still use it.

  • Ouida

    I have a 2 door refrigerator Model TBK18SG. I know it is an older model but it is still working. The problem I am having now that water is coming from somewhere and I do not know where to look for the run off to see if it is clogged. A lot of water is on the bottom of the firdge under the vegetable draws. Sometime if something is touching the back of the fridge, ice forms on it.
    Hope this can be fixed or do you suggest a replacement