I am trying to figure out what these two wooden louvered vents are on the exterior kitchen wall of my bungalow.

Do you know what they may be? Backside of a “larder” cabinet that no longer exists?

The house is in the San Francisco area. Built circa 1925. The outside of the kitchen exterior wall has two wooden louvered vents (each about 8” wide by a foot or so tall), one is a foot or so above floor level and the other is about 4-5 ft directly above it.

V. A.

Vince,
Your mysterious vents are indeed part of what was once a cooler cabinet. The popular term for the old cabinet is "California Cooler". It had ventilated shelves and was the perfect place to store items that needed cool dark, like potatoes and onions. It works with a chimney effect, drawing cooler air into the lower vent - and warmer air out the top. The ice box was small and these items didn't need to take up valuable space in there. Proud owners of vintage homes that have the cabinets intact report that they work like a charm.

See links:
1. What is a "California Cooler"
2. Lucky to have a California Cooler in the kitchen

Do you have a cooler cabinet in your bungalow?

Lauren