Pocono Ice Harvest 1919: A Frozen Legacy

Glide back to a frigid winter of 1919 with this silent amateur film capturing the ice harvest at Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, a rustic retreat in the Poconos. In crisp black-and-white, the 10-minute reel unfolds a labor-intensive spectacle: workers wielding saws slice thick ice from a frozen lake, horses haul massive blocks across the snow, and a clever horse-powered elevator stacks them into storage. From gauging ice depth to midday breaks with feedbags and thermoses, it’s a meticulously shot glimpse of a vanished craft, framed by the elegant manor house. A chilling treasure for history buffs, rural life enthusiasts, and silent film fans, this footage preserves a lost art in timeless stillness.