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Beating the Summer Heat

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During a Washington D.C. summer, it’s a given that it will be hot and humid, and this summer is definitely living up to that standard. While I was thinking about how much I love air conditioning, my attention was caught by these photos, featuring people seeking relief from the heat in a time when air conditioning was a rarity. Take these clever kids in 1910s New York City, beating the heat by licking huge blocks of ice:

<i>Licking blocks of ice on hot day.</i> Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09814
Licking blocks of ice on hot day. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09814

When large blocks of ice weren’t available, fountains of all kinds served as a ready source for cooling down. In addition to free water fountains, thirsty people crowded around dispensers to trade one cent for ice cold plain soda water:

<i>Ice water in the park--hot day, N.Y.C. </i> Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09819
Ice water in the park–hot day, N.Y.C. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09819

These children decided drinking the water wasn’t quite enough, and dunked their heads:

<i>New York City - children on the street: hot weather street scene - boys dipping their heads in fountain.</i> Photo by Bain News Service, between 1908 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b18585
New York City – children on the street: hot weather street scene – boys dipping their heads in fountain. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1908 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b18585

And for many people, just getting out of their homes and finding some shade helped them weather the heat. The large trees in Battery Park in New York offered a good place to escape the summer sun:

<i>Battery Park on hot day</i>. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09816
Battery Park on hot day. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.09816

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