Vintage meat safes (or food safes/larder cupboards) were essential pre-refrigeration furniture, typically wooden cabinets with fine wire mesh panels on the sides and doors, allowing air circulation to keep meat, dairy, bread, and produce cool and fresh while protecting it from flies, insects, and pests like mice. Often featuring simple designs with internal shelves, they were a common sight in kitchens or pantries, sometimes with feet placed in water to deter ants, serving as a vital ventilated storage solution before modern refrigeration.

Key characteristics:

Materials: Primarily wood (pine, hardwood) with zinc or galvanized wire mesh.

Design: Cupboard style, ranging from small hanging types to larger floor-standing units, often with solid wood doors or mesh doors.

Ventilation: Mesh panels on multiple sides for crucial airflow.

Pest Control: Mesh kept insects out; some had water-filled trays under legs to stop ants.

Contents: Stored meat, cooked food, milk, butter, bread, fruits, and vegetables.

Era: Widely used from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, with many still in use or repurposed today.