Book excerpt: Abstract: The evolution, trends, and applications of the mechanical aspects of refrigeration are traced from 1755 to the present day. The information is intended to appeal not only to engineering students and refrigerationists, but to the general reader as well. The history is divided into 4 epochs. The first, before 1875, discusses natural refrigeration, thermometry, the development of the concepts of heat and thermal processes, and the 4 families of refrigerating machines. The second epoch, 1875-1914, covers the industrialization of refrigeration and its first applications to brewing, food preservation, storage and transport, and non-food applications such as air conditioning and cryogenics. The third epoch, between the wars, introduces the compressor, refrigeration in daily life, and further developments in established areas. The final epoch, after 1945, documents the explosion of refrigeration technology, its spread throughout the world, and its thousands of uses, from desalination of sea water tofreeze-dried foodstuffs and medical applications.