It’s the height of summer, and air conditioners are running at full blast in most of the country. It’s hard to imagine life without A/C now, but people had to get creative with ways to beat the heat before it was more commonplace.
Check out these fascinating vintage photos of how people used to stay cool during summer heat waves over the years.
Children Playing in Water, 1953
We absolutely love this photo that perfectly captures the chaos and relief that comes with cooling off under a rush of water.
Licking Blocks of Ice During the Heat Wave, 1912
Ice was still a novelty in the early 1900s, especially during the summer. These kids are cooling off by licking ice blocks, while a gentleman with an inexplicably heavy wool coat looks on.
Reading in Central Park, 1961
Dipping your feet in the water is a great way to keep cool, just like these fashionable women who are reading on a park bench in a pool of water.
Kids Beating the Summer Heat, 1936
It looks like some road construction created a great spot for a makeshift wading pool, and these kids are taking full advantage of it.
Bathers in the Surf at Coney Island, 1903
Perhaps swimmers needed all those rope lines they’re hanging onto because the sheer weight of their wet bathing suits would pull them under?!
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Coney Island, 1960s
Compare those turn-of-the-century swimsuits to the beach fashion on display here in the 1960s. It seems much more appropriate for dealing with a heat wave.
Sleeping on the Fire Escape, 1927
While this seems horrifying now, kids used to sleep on the fire escape during heat waves to catch a breeze and sleep better.
Children Playing During a Heat Wave, 1953
These kids in New York City look thrilled to be playing in the water of an open fire hydrant, but they better watch out for cars since they’re in the street.
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Children Enjoy a ‘Street Shower’, 1925
These kids in Washington, D.C. look cool and refreshed under a sprinkle of water. Why don’t adults cool off like this more?
Playing in the Fire Hydrant in Harlem, 1963
This woman and child are having a fantastic time cooling off in the spray of a hydrant. Unlike a hydrant’s usual geyser, this one’s more like a powerful sprinkler.
Man with Ice Cream Cones, 1946
This guy is enduring a heat wave with the best solution: ice cream. He’s probably sharing all those cones, but if they’re all for him, we won’t judge.
Cooling Off, 1964
A game of ring around the rosy is extra fun when you’re doing it around a sprinkler in the heat of summer.
NYC Heat Wave, 1953
It looks like someone just opened this fire hydrant because people aren’t completely soaked through yet — though even wading in the water felt great.
Four Boys Cool Off in 95-degree Heat, 1939
Before kiddie pools, someone set up this makeshift version using a wheelbarrow. How many more kids do you think they can fit in there?
Heat Wave in Philadelphia, 1933
This woman is taking matters into her own hands for cooling off with her garden hose. The child looks a little surprised, or maybe just camera shy.
Heat Wave, Los Angeles, 1958
When in doubt, wear as little clothing as possible. That seems to be the motto of this pair walking down the street in bathing suits and heels.
How We Dealt with Summer Heat, 1962
This is a scene that plays out in countless yards during the summer: kids running through a sprinkler.
Staying Cool on the Balcony, 1900s
Hopefully these kids aren’t afraid of heights as they sleep on a balcony to escape the heat of the building.
New York City Heat Wave, 1953
A dive into the river around NYC might not have been the most sanitary thing, but it certainly would cool you off quickly.
Waiting for Free Ice During a Heat Wave, 1900
A woman walks away with a bucket of free ice blocks while a man wipes sweat from his brow as he looks on.
