Refrigerator, Model T-7, about 1934; by General Electric Co., Schenectady, New York Gift of Randy Sorenson and James Beckwith

In the 1930s, efficiency expert Lillian Gilbreth sought with varying success to save the modern homemaker time and wasted motion. Her design of the interior of this electric refrigerator put frequently used items like eggs in special containers up front, in easy reach. Later researchers studied the most efficient ways of transferring eggs into those containers.