The ice cream cone first appeared on the scene in 1896 thanks to the genius of an Italian, Italo Marchioni, who used to push an ice cream cart up and down Wall Street. It was imperative for him to find a means of transport for that frozen mousse, and to avoid having to wash, carry or break glass and metal containers.
Thus, for more than a century, the conical-shaped wafer has doubled-up as both packaging and a design item at the same time – in the latter capacity earning itself a place of honour among other design items in the MoMA. A humble invention, it has ascended to the pinnacle of iconic effectiveness: you just need to close your eyes… and the cone will always appear a split second before the cup. Which goes to prove that it is undeniably the best ‘sock’ for ice cream scoops, at least according to the “cost-effective” way in which the mind organises its stocks (or socks) of icons and memories.
It has remained intact for more than a century, nor does it melt away as fashions come and go. We could call it the ice cream i-cone.