Before AC: 15 Historic Heat Wave Photos That Show Summer at Its Toughest
There’s nothing like a heat wave to remind us that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Sure, today’s abundance of air conditioners makes it easier to beat the heat, but it wasn’t always that way. In decades past, sometimes turning on the sprinklers or licking giant blocks of ice was the only way to get relief. Cool down with these vintage photos of people in the 1900s and later as they try to escape summer’s oppressive temperatures.
1. ‘Waiting for Free Ice During a Heat Wave in New York City, 1900’
2. Children Licking Blocks of Ice During a 1911 Heat Wave
3. Boys Diving Into London’s Thames River During a Heat Wave in 1933
4. ‘A Slice of Life in a Heat Wave in Toxteth, Liverpool, 1975’
5. At the Intersection of College Avenue and Emily Street in North St. Louis, the Pavement Burst Open Under the 115-Degree Heat, 1954
6. Staying Cool During a Heat Wave in London, 1930
7. New York City Heat Wave, 1953
8. Having a ‘Street Shower’ During a Heat Wave in Washington, DC, in 1925
9. A Man in Sydney, Australia, Stocks Up on Ice Cream Cones in a 1946 Heat Wave
10. ‘Reading in Central Park During a Heat Wave in September, 1961’
11. Four Boys Cool Off in 95 Degree Weather in NYC, 1939
12. Cybill Shepherd and Martin Scorsese on the Set of ‘Taxi Driver,’ 1975, During a Heat Wave
13. Bring Out the Fans at a Block Party During a 1977 Heat Wave in New York
14. Guess That’s One Way To Keep Working in Extreme Heat
15. ‘Frying an Egg on the Roof During a Heat Wave, Stockholm, Sweden, 1955’
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