I think that is true - domestic absorption refrigerators were not uncommon in the early 20th century. The development of reliable hermetically sealed compressor

I think that is true - domestic absorption refrigerators were not uncommon in the early 20th century. The development of reliable hermetically sealed compressors, greatly reducing the risk of refrigerant leaks, may have tipped the balance in favor of compression refrigeration. Interestingly, Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard made a foray into the field, patenting an electromagnetic refrigerator that was not commercially successful. https://invention.si.edu/einstein-szilard-refrigerator https://invention.si.edu/einstein-szilard-refrigerator Update: from a quick look at the patent referenced here, it seems to be a rather conventional heat-driven absorption refrigerator - the plot thickens! Update 2: The above article is conflating two different inventions. Einstein and Szilard also patented a compression refrigerator driven by a magneto-hydrodynamic pump of their invention, which used an internal liquid metal as its moving part and consequently required no seals to keep the refrigerant from leaking. It was far from being silent, however. http://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise/P3374fa16/EinsteinSzilardRefrigerators.pdf http://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise/P3374fa16/EinsteinSzilard...