The History of Self-Storage Containers

The self storage container, like everything, has a long history. From the beginning of time, humanity has stored their belongings, whether that be food or personal items. Here at Store That, we love a good history lesson. In this blog, we thought we’d give you a brief overview of the self storage container throughout history, and how it has evolved into what we use today.   

The Beginning 

Since prehistoric times, people have been storing things. Jars and units in walls were used to store food and keep it as fresh as possible. Even though we don’t see as much evidence of similar concepts to the self storage container in early history, elaborate storage systems in China and Greece have been uncovered which suggests they were created for personal possessions. The underground units in China were filled with clay pots that house people’s personal items and they were available to the public. This makes the closest evidence of self storage container-like methods in ancient cities.

The Egyptians 

We all know that the Egyptians are famous for their creative ways to store their dead, but did you know they also had genius self storage container systems? Their communal storage was very similar to the layout we have now, however, you probably wouldn’t find furniture and old TVs. Their storage was just for food and wine.  

British Aristocracy 

Several centuries ago, the rich population of Britain caught on to the need for self-storage systems. With many aristocrats travelling, they needed a safe space to store their valuable possessions, especially given that highway robbery was on the rise. Banks were used during this time to not only store money, but also such possession.  The banks would hire units on behalf of the clients to ensure safe storage, making in very similar to the type of self storage container we have today.  

The modern self storage container

The self storage container units we are familiar with today actually date back to 1850’s. Storage units were created to meet the needs of immigrants coming over to the US. Due to the small houses, people needed storage for their belongings. In 1958, Lauderdale Storage in Florida opened for business. This facility had the type of self storage container you might be used to.  

The idea of the self storage container migrated over to the United Kingdom in the 1980’s. It was mostly busines utilising it at first to store document, surplus stock, and unused office equipment. The popularity of the storage unit increased throughout the world from then onwards and today, there are over 800 storage facilities across the UK alone!

Contact Us

Now you are clued up on the history of the self storage container, why not think about storing your possessions - no food or Egyptian mummies please! Store That’s storage facilities in E14 can help to securely house your possessions. So if you need to free up some space in your home or maybe you have a business that needs to find home for its stock, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team today or call us on 020 7515 1300.