Clad's Disher — World's first mechanical ice cream server

It was invented in 1876 by William Clewell, a confectionary story owner in Reading, Pennsylvania, in order to let soda fountain operators "measure out consistent portions of ice cream and deposit them 'on a plate or saucer in a molded and attractive condition.'"

More, from the July & August issue of Cooks' Illustrated: "The server spooned ice cream into the bell-like mold and then inverted it over a dish. A few turns of the heart-shaped key on top rotated two scraper blades around the inside, releasing the frozen dessert. When we tried out this quaint dipper, we were struck by the novelty of the cone-shaped scoops that it produced — but its two-handed operation was clunky and awkward compared with modern-day scoops."

Methinks Cooks' Illustrated is being far too hard on Clewell's breakthrough, whose patented design was manufactured by Mr. Valentine Clad, a Philadelphia tinsmith.

Does the fact the Wright Brothers' first successful flyer looked like a bunch of oversized toothpicks glued together and on its first flight on December 17, 1903 flew just 120 feet, staying aloft for only 12 seconds, make it "clunky and awkward" compared to a modern day jumbo jet or fighter?

To me, that first plane (below, taking wing on December 17, 1903)

is a thing of great beauty, an incredible achievement embodying all that's best of the human animal.

Let's not be too judgmental when we cast an eye back at our ancestors.

Hindsight is always 50-50.

Wait a sec, that's not right....

I found about 10 Clads' Dishers on eBay (below, an exemplar),

starting at around $30, if you're in the mood for a bit of Americana in your own kitchen.