Copper Foot Warmer
c. 1937
Before central heating took over, people relied on humble objects like this copper foot warmer to keep their toes from freezing, and artist Edward L. Loper made sure we wouldn't forget what they looked like. Created around 1937, likely as part of a government project to document American material culture, this illustration captures the rich, worn reddish patina and sturdy iron handles of the device. The small technical diagram in the corner gives away its practical scale, showing how this cozy, portable heater was perfectly sized to tuck under a desk or into a carriage on a bitter winter day.
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