2,976 Frigidaires

April, 1929 advertisement

The first electric refrigerator is sold in the United States in 1913. Soon thereafter, inventor Alfred Mellowes modifies the appliance significantly and forms the Guardian Frigerator Company to manufacture it. This company is acquired by the General Motors Corporation in 1918 and renamed Frigidaire. The rest is history. GM's automotive mass-production techniques are applied to its manufacture, and by 1929, one million units have been sold. 

Among these are 2,976 refrigerators purchased by the French Company for Tudor City. The Frigidaire ad above touts this order, calling the complex "the largest apartment development the world has ever known." The initial order, in 1927, was newsworthy enough for an item in the New York Times, below.

As previously noted, Fred French was keen on outfitting the complex with brand-name products. And Frigidaire was happy for the cross-promotional opportunity, no doubt supplying the appliances at a volume discount.