Count Rumford was the first individual to realize that a fireplace heats a room solely through radiation of visible and invisible light. Armed with this insight, he set about designing a fireplace to maximize its effectiveness as a radiant heater. His research produced a tall, shallow firebox with widely flared sides that gives off huge amounts of heat over a very wide arc. This Rumford Throat captures all the products of combustion and guides them smoothly and without turbulence into the chimney. The Rumford fireplace's streamlined efficiency greatly reduces the amount of warm air lost up the chimney.

Additional Links about Rumford Fireplaces

http://www.rumford.com/

http://www.bobvila.com/ArticleLibrary/Task/Building/Rumford.html

http://www.bobvila.com/TipLibrary/Subject/HVAC/Fireplaces__and__Wood_Stoves/0111-Count_Rumford_Fireplace.html

http://www.mcnear.com/rf_info.html