A Glass of Milk a Day....
It wasn't until I was house hunting last summer that I came across a milk box or milk door. My house is only the second house I saw that had one. The first house (which we did not end up purchasing) had an even more elaborate one called a "Milko-Box" that had dials and a list of other items besides milk, like whipping cream, eggs, cottage cheese and even a slot for "nothing" (ha!). I knew that milk and other grocery items were delivered back in the day. I mean, who doesn't? But I had never actually seen this contraption. I absolutely love it. I can't find a use for it now, but I love that it's there. Just the idea that a delivery person would ride up to your house and place a bottle of fresh, cold milk in that little space is so charming. I could only find a few resources on the internet that have to do with this bygone method of food delivery and architecture, and there is actually a group on Flickr.com with photographs of milk doors, 48 so far. I'm thinking of adding my own. Among those images I found this picture of a milk door from the 1950's in the creative commons of Flickr.com. This one actually looks like a set of double doors near a back porch. The style of the house is much different than mine, and it looks like it is from Milwaukee. Other ones that I liked include one that is made by the Durasteel Products Company of Los Angeles, CA, and one that is painted a bright turquoise with just the word milk on the outside. Our door also has this simple style, including the outline of an actual milk bottle, and maybe one day I will find a good use for it. I wonder if I can get someone to deliver a cold drink through it for me one of these days?
It wasn't until I was house hunting last summer that I came across a milk box or milk door. My house is only the second house I saw that had one. The first house (which we did not end up purchasing) had an even more elaborate one called a "Milko-Box" that had dials and a list of other items besides milk, like whipping cream, eggs, cottage cheese and even a slot for "nothing" (ha!). I knew that milk and other grocery items were delivered back in the day. I mean, who doesn't? But I had never actually seen this contraption. I absolutely love it. I can't find a use for it now, but I love that it's there. Just the idea that a delivery person would ride up to your house and place a bottle of fresh, cold milk in that little space is so charming. I could only find a few resources on the internet that have to do with this bygone method of food delivery and architecture, and there is actually a group on Flickr.com with photographs of milk doors, 48 so far. I'm thinking of adding my own. Among those images I found this picture of a milk door from the 1950's in the creative commons of Flickr.com. This one actually looks like a set of double doors near a back porch. The style of the house is much different than mine, and it looks like it is from Milwaukee. Other ones that I liked include one that is made by the Durasteel Products Company of Los Angeles, CA, and one that is painted a bright turquoise with just the word milk on the outside. Our door also has this simple style, including the outline of an actual milk bottle, and maybe one day I will find a good use for it. I wonder if I can get someone to deliver a cold drink through it for me one of these days?
Hi Adriana! Found your blog through you GR profile and wanted to check it out, I just started following and can't wait to come back and check it out some more!
ReplyDeleteHi Katelyn, thanks for following! :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a milk box too with the same meter and options labeled "Dura Steel Products" Los Angeles etc. Pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Southwest Los Angeles, our family lived in a 1930s house and I remember the milkslot on the side wall of the house that went thru to the kitchen. I can still remember the sound of the milkman and his wirebasket of bottles clanking as he walked up to the house.
ReplyDeleteHow much does something like this worth?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the milk door pictures! The link to the Flickr group led me to a photo of the Dura-Steel milk door product selector which I have in my house (1940's home) in Los Angeles are.
ReplyDeleteNifty! I found this post because my 1940 house in Dallas, TX has a Dura Steel peep hole on the front door. It’s has a 4 inch little latch door on the inside that opens to decorative metalwork on the outside. It’s been nice to pass my ID through during the pandemic while having wine delivered!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting! I have since left that house, but I will always remember that little door and how convenient it is as an adult beverage pass-through, lol. Cheers!
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